Flowers in the Spring
by Inu-Tachi
Summary: Inuyasha and Kagome face many perils as they search for the shards of the Shikon Jewel. In the course of their journey, they discover that the greatest danger of all may be love. [Chapters 8-11 updated: Kagome invites Inuyasha home.]
1. The Final Battle

"Flowers in the Spring" by Superforeigner and AngelsFall.

Disclaimer: Neither Superforeigner nor AngelsFall own Inuyasha or any of his little friends, though we both rather wish that wasn't the case. Since we are both poor and unemployed, there really is no reason for anyone to sue. >.>

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**Chapter One:** The Final Battle

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It wasn't a new sensation; fear, like an iron thread constricting her heart. Fear so real that it was nearly tangible like a thick fog around her. Kagome's knuckles were white against the bow held in her trembling grasp. The bowstring was taut as she knocked an arrow and prepared to fire. But she dared not let the arrow fly, for fear that she would miss her mark because of the tremor running through her body.

This was an enemy she'd faced before. Though they'd never defeated him, she knew it was only a matter of time. One of them would win. Tonight, one of them would walk away from this confrontation, and the other would not.

Tetsusaiga was transformed, gleaming with power in Inuyasha's hands. He stood protectively in front of Kagome, blood staining his clothes and hair, as he watched Naraku and the vile creature's servants. The poison wasps were centralized around Miroku, harrying the monk so he couldn't use his wind tunnel, and Sango had already been batted aside like a child's toy.

"Damn you..." he muttered through clenched teeth. "What kind of coward lets puppets do all his fighting and then shows up at the last minute?" 

Naraku's chilling voice echoed all around them, mocking them and their efforts. "You may think I'm a coward, but at least I'm not a _fool_ like you, Inuyasha." His many barbed tentacles waved menacingly around the two, and Kagome shot at them with purifying arrows. But where one was taken down, two more appeared to replace it. "You think you can escape this time, but you're wrong. When this night is over, I'll have the Shikon no Tama, and then no one will be able to stop me or stand in my way."

The hanyou's grip tightened on his sword, claws scraping together. "I've had enough of this. You're finished, Naraku, you and all your little tricks." Inuyasha charged the thing he hated most in the world, raising his sword and seeking the windscar in his demon sight. Naraku had been expecting this, long familiar with his enemy's brash nature. A tentacle darted out, punching its way through Inuyasha's body before the hanyou could defend himself. He was flung away in a spray of blood, and landed heavily against a tree, Tetsusaiga shaken loose from his grasp.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's voice rang out in alarm, sounding foreign in her own ears. She ran to his side and picked up the Tetsusaiga, holding it up to the hanyou beside her. "We have to keep fighting, Inuyasha. Don't give up!"

Inuyasha staggered to his feet, taking Tetsusaiga from Kagome and using it to support himself. "Keep ... Naraku busy? I need a ... second," he panted.

Kagome nodded and took her own defensive stance in front of Inuyasha, knocking an arrow and drawing it back. Taking a step forward, she fired into the midst of the mass of tentacles, hoping that the glowing arrow would find it's mark.

Kagome felt a brief moment of elation when she heard the meaty _thunk_ sound that meant an arrow had hit home. But her joy quickly faded to horror when she realized that the sound came from behind her, and not in front.

Inuyasha had sensed her too late. He hadn't even had time to turn and face her before the arrow struck home. Kikyou's magic flared through his body, the arrow itself barely more than an annoyance in the face of her burning power. The hanyou fell to his knees, barely catching himself with Tetsusaiga. "Ki--Kikyou..." His eyes were wide, startled, as if he couldn't imagine what would drive her to harm him again.

Kagome turned on her heel and gasped. Why? Why her, why now? In a heartbeat she was by Inuyasha's side again, wraping her arm around his shoulders and holding him close. She knew she couldn't protect him from both Naraku _and_ Kikyou, but she'd be damned if she wouldn't try.

Kikyou's arm was still raised, statuesque, having just released the deadly arrow. Her face was like sculpted marble, cold and emotionless in the face of the scene unfolding before her. She'd come to force Inuyasha to fulfill his promise, whether he wanted to or not.

The wound might not be fatal. Inuyasha wasn't sure. He was certain, though, that this arrow had carried more power in it than the one Kikyou had used to seal him to Goshinboku fifty years ago. He reached for Kagome's hand, wrapping his fingers around hers. "Kagome," he whispered, his strength stolen by the magic invading his body. "You're strong ... don't ... let him ... beat you."

The younger miko's eyes were welling up with tears, but she didn't try to hide them or blink them away. "Inuyasha, don't leave me! I can't do this without you!" Her bow dropped to the ground and both of her hands wrapped pleadingly around his. "Please, you can't die!"

"Stop ... crying, wench," he said with a faint smile. "Nobody said I ... was dying." The blood still spilling onto the ground from his numerous wounds proclaimed otherwise, but Inuyasha didn't want his eyes to close on a weeping Kagome. "Pick up your bow ... stop him ..."

Kagome drew in a shaking breath and nodded, brushing a quick kiss against his rough knuckles before scooping up her bow and snatching an arrow from her quiver. She wouldn't let Inuyasha down. Arrow after glowing arrow was shot in rapid succession into the writhing mound of tentacles. She wouldn't let Naraku win! She _couldn't._ But the soft brush she felt against her leg caused her to pause and turn.

Kikyou's soul gatherers were coiled around Inuyasha. He hung limp in their grasp, eyes closed and face pale--lifeless. He offered no protest as they lifted his body, bearing it towards their waiting mistress. The smile on her face told Kagome everything she needed to know about the dead miko's intentions.

"No!" The bow once again clattered to the ground as Kagome sprang to give chase, arms extended towards the motionless hanyou. She stopped short, though, when she felt a sudden pain in her middle. The pain was quickly replaced by numbness, spreading through her whole body. She looked down, eyes wide, at the barbed tentacle protruding from her stomach, covered in her own blood. Swiftly, the appendage wrapped around her body like a snake, ready to squeeze the life from her. She looked up again to see Inuyasha's prone form dragged by Kikyou's serpentine insects into the fires of hell that were now engulfing them both. "Inuyasha... Inuyasha!" She couldn't believe that it could end this way. How could this be?

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"Inuyasha!" Kagome sat bolt upright in bed, her face and body slick with persperation. She was trembling violently, looking wildly around her own darkened room. It had all been a dream. Not real. Just a dream. She tried to assuage her fear, but her heart was still clenched tightly in her chest. Without hesitation, she lept out of bed in her blue checked pajamas and bolted down the stairs and out the door. She briefly considered that perhaps she had woken her family, but the thought was quickly replaced with the more immediate fear of her dream. 

Barefoot and bleary-eyed, she lept without hesitation down into the murky depths of the well. The familiar blue glow greeted her, and she knew she'd arrived in Sengoku Jidai when she looked up and saw a clear starry sky instead of the aged wood of the well house. Less than gracefully, she climbed up to the well's rim, scratching her feet against the rough-hewn stone.

A clawed hand darted into the dim interior, long fingers wrapping gently around her wrist. "Wha'd'you think you're doing? You don't even have any shoes on!" 

Kagome's heart lept into her throat in surprise. She should have known he'd be close by. She looked up into his amber-gold eyes and felt her unease slowly melt away. "Pull me up, will you?" 

"Keh." He lifted her easily, setting her down with her feet in the cool grass. He kept one arm behind her in case she stumbled. She looked awful. "What happened?" he asked, taking in her state of dress. "Even you're not dumb enough to think you can wander around the countryside in your nightclothes."

The instant her feet touched the soft grass, her arms were around him in a tight embrace. Her head rested against his chest, listening to the strong, steady rhythm of his beating heart. He was fine. It had all been a dream. "I'm so glad you're okay." The words were whispered, barely spoken, but enough for Inuyasha's keen senses to pick up with ease.

"Huh?" He has never been good at this--never with Kikyou, and certainly not with Kagome. The whole idea of comforting people was just strange to him. True, he was learning it from the girl clinging tightly to him, but a little preparation time would have been nice. "Uh ... I'm fine. Should I not be?"

She took in a deep breath and let it out it slowly, releasing him and taking a step back. "It was... nothing. Don't worry, okay? It was just a dream." She lowered her head to hide the blush that was blooming on her cheeks. She knew that her fear for his safety from dream phantoms was rather childish and irrational, but seeing him safe and whole had reassured her quailing heart. "I should probably go home, I might have woken up my family..."

Inuyasha didn't drop his arm, opting instead to carefully take hold of her. "Maybe I should go with you, just in case."

"Okay." She smiled softly and nodded. "Thank you."

"Eh. It's nothing." He swooped her up before she had a chance to protest, and jumped into the well. The blue energy surrounded them, and when it faded he could smell the busy early morning of Kagome's era. He leapt out of the well, but instead of setting Kagome down, he carried her to her window.

Kagome opened her window and allowed Inuyasha to jump through and set her back down on the floor. She was grateful for his presence there. Despite all the times he'd yelled at her or called her names, she knew that there was a softer side to the terse and often violent hanyou.

"Why don't you go back to sleep? Looks like you could use it, and I'd rather you got it here than on my back halfway to some no name village."

"I think that's a good idea. Thanks for bringing me back, Inuyasha. I just got so scared, I couldn't stop myself. I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

He shrugged one shoulder and sat across her room, his back against her closet door and Tetsusaiga in his arms. "Wasn't much going on anyway. Everyone else was asleep."

"I still appreciate it, though." She sat back down on her bed and yawned, stretching a little before hunkering down under the covers. Kagome smiled over at Inuyasha and settled into a comfortable sleeping position. "I always feel safe with you here."

The hanyou watched as Kagome settled into her bed. "Go to sleep," he admonished her. If she weren't watching him, he might have let just a tiny smile slip at her admission. Inuyasha liked being the protector. It made him feel strong and useful, but most of all it gave him a place to belong.

Kagome yawned again and within moments she was sleeping soundly, evidenced by her slow, steady breathing and heartbeat. No more nightmares could plague her, so long as he was there watching over her.


	2. Unattached

Disclaimer: Neither AngelsFall nor Superforeigner own Inuyasha, to our eternal dismay. Unfortunately, owning manga or DVDs doesn't count. And since Takahashi-sama has so kindly turned a blind eye to all the fanfic authors so far, we're hoping she'll do the same for us. .

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**Chapter Two:** Unattached

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The afternoon was picture perfect in the Sengoku Jidai. Birds sang in the green trees, clouds filtered the sunlight, and a gentle breeze took the edge off of summer's heat. An old well stood in a large clearing, a few wildflowers brightening the area. It seemed like a nice enough place for a picnic, which was exactly what the small group gathered at the edge of the clearing was doing. 

The peace was shattered when the voice of an irritated hanyou rose from the depths of the well. "...You couldn't tell him to leave?! You had to invite him _into your house_?!" 

"Excuse me! Hojo is my friend and he's only concerned about me because my grandfather has to make up _bogus illnesses_ so I can get out of school and _come here!_" Kagome huffed and crossed her arms over her chest once Inuyasha set her down on the grass. This wasn't the first time she'd argued with him over something petty or trivial, and she knew it wouldn't be the last, either. "Why do you care, anyway?" 

"Because his smell is all over you!" He gave her an accusatory glare as he snapped, "If you were so 'sick,' then how come you got close to him? Aren't you always saying people pass on disease by being close to each other?! You had plenty of excuses to send him away! But no. I had to hide in your _closet_ and get slammed into your floor every time you invited him to sit down!" 

Kagome dropped her bag, then balled her hands into fists and placed them on her hips. "I was just being polite to him! And not all diseases are contaigous! I'm not the one who let him into the house, anyway! I already told you, Hojo is my _friend_, and he treats me nicely, unlike _some_ people I could mention!" 

Across the clearing, Shippou was rolling his eyes as he stuffed his face with rice balls and petted Kirara's tails with one sticky hand. Miroku and Sango were watching the couple that had just emerged from the well intently, one waiting for the inevitable "SIT," the other wondering if now would be an opportune time for a feel-up. 

"I treat you nicely! I save you every time you get in trouble instead of letting you get eaten like most people who pester demons should be!" Clearly, Inuyasha wasn't thinking at all. 

A small strangled sound escaped Kagome's throat. There was a familiar fire in her eyes, one that Inuyasha had seen before. One that usually came directly after he'd said something rude and immediately before he was reminded how soil tasted. "Rescuing me doesn't equate to treating me nicely! Treating someone nicely means considering their feelings and not calling them names!" 

Inuyasha was too incensed to notice the look in Kagome's eyes. The smell of another male on her, a human male at that, was driving him mad. "You should appreciate what I do for you!" he shouted. "I condsider your feelings! I keep you from getting killed, don't I? You wouldn't be very happy if you were dead!" The hanyou broke off as he finally noticed the look in the girl's eyes, and thought to himself, _Oh shit ... _

"You...! You! GAH!" Kagome glared at him. "SIT, Inuyasha! Sit, _sit,** SIT!**_" 

_WHAM!_ The pause between the first and second sits was just long enough to ensure Inuyasha was already kissing dirt when Kagome shouted the rest of her commands. He could have sworn he felt his nose getting flatter with each strike, and would have cursed her loud and long if he'd been able to catch a breath to do it. 

"Wow!" Shippou exclaimed as he listened to the thumps. "Kagome must really be mad at him." 

Sango nodded as she absentmindedly punched Miroku in the arm. "He _was_ asking for it, though." 

The monk winced and nodded as he withdrew his hand from her posterior. "Yes. Yes he was..." 

Kagome snatched up her large yellow pack and slung it over her shoulder, turning to look at the others. "I'm going home for a while, guys. I'll see you soon, okay?" And with that, she turned and stomped back to the well. 

Miroku was the first to brave the prostrate Inuyasha, who lay where Kagome had left him beside the well. The monk nudged the hanyou with the end of his staff, asking, "Still with us?" 

"Shut up and go away," came the muffled reply. 

Shippou scuttled over and jumped on Inuyasha's head in his ire. "You're such a jerk, Inuyasha! Why do you always scare Kagome away like that?! She didn't even stay to give me a hug this time 'cause you were so mean!" 

"Get. Off. Of. My. Head." 

The tiny kitsune, never one to listen to Inuyasha's warnings (or even his own common sense) continued to berate the potentially dangerous dog demon. "If you were nicer to her she might wanna stay with us more! She never runs away from me or Sango or even Miroku!" 

Ever so slowly, Inuyasha clenched his hand into a fist. Still face down, he gritted his teeth and waited for just the right moment to strike the fox cub on the head. 

Hoping to avoid more violence, Sango quickly swooped down and lifted the disgruntled Shippou in her arms. "Can we please stop fighting? This isn't helping the situation at all!" 

Inuyasha sat up and rubbed his nose, glowering at Sango all the while. "I think it helped. It got the kid off my head!" 

"No, I got the kid off your head because I didn't want you to hit him. But he's right, you know. You should be nicer to Kagome." 

"I am nice to Kagome!" 

"You are not!" Shippou exclaimed. "You always upset her and call her mean names!" 

Sango nodded in agreement. "And what about you telling her that she was just your shard detector? That wasn't nice at all." 

"I did not say that!" he protested, getting to his feet and fisting his hands. 

The rings on Miroku's shakujo jingled as he twirled it in his hands. "Except that you sort of did." 

"Not just now I didn't!" 

"You're such an idiot," mumbled Shippou, crossing his arms over his chest in emulation of one of Kagome's expressions. 

"Why you..." Inuyasha lunged at Shippou, trying to get around the demon slayer protecting him. "Give him here! I oughta pound some sense into that thick fox skull..." 

Shippou squeaked and scrambled over Sango's shoulder, hiding from Inuyasha's wrath under her hair. "You're just angry 'cause it's true!" 

"I am no--" _WHACK!_ Inuyasha went crashing to the ground in a way he normally didn't without Kagome around. 

"Someone had to do it," Miroku said, innocently. 

Sango sighed and untangled Shippou from her hair. Picking up Hiraikotsu from its resting position against a tree, she strapped it to her back. "I'm going back to the village. This is getting stressful." Shippou nodded and eyed Inuyasha from his safe perch on the taijiya's shoulder. 

When they were gone, Miroku poked Inuyasha with his shakujo again. "I think you and I should talk, my friend." Inuyasha twitched once at the monk's prodding, but didn't respond otherwise. 

"Oh come now. I know you get depressed when she's not around but that's no excuse to mope around on the ground like that." Miroku grinned, hoping that Inuyasha would take the bait. 

If only depression were the only thing keeping Inuyasha down. Between Kagome's sits and Miroku's sound whack over the head, the hanyou was understandably dazed. It was the only reason he hadn't rounded on his companion or given chase to Shippou and Sango. "Shaddup," he managed, flattening his ears and clutching the sides of his head. 

Miroku prodded him again and then ducked down to help the hanyou to his feet. "Come on, don't be such a bad sport." 

"Gnuh?" Inuyasha's eyes took a little too long to focus, and he leaned against Miroku a bit until he found his feet. Unfortunately for the monk, the hanyou healed fast, and he quickly backed away to snarl at his "friend." 

Sango and Shippou were long gone by then, so Miroku dropped his more calm and innocent face. "Don't start that again, Inuyasha. Must you really behave that way towards Kagome all the time? You two always argue!" 

"She starts it," he grumbled with crossed arms. The way his ears drooped, it was clear he didn't even believe himself. 

Miroku crossed his arms as well, mirroring Inuyasha. "Why do you push her away like this? One of her friends came to pay her a visit. What does it matter? You only alienate her when you act so boorishly." 

"Good." 

"You _want_ her to hate you?" His tone was incredulous. If he'd spent so much time with a girl who cared about him as much as Kagome cared about Inuyasha, he'd be a father already. "You can't mean that." 

"Well I do," Inuyasha retorted crossly. 

"Why? Any half-wit can see how much she cares about you. Are you afraid that she'll hurt you like Kikyou did? Kagome isn't that sort of person!" 

"Don't you think I know that?!" He turned his back on Miroku, wanting to stalk off but not really sure he should. 

"I know you know that, so why do you act like this? The way you push her away, I wouldn't be surprised if she actually decided not to come back one day!" He glared at Inuyasha's back and reached out to turn him around. "Don't walk away. Answer my question!" 

Inuyashas sighed, and his whole body seemed to deflate, the limp ears and slumped shoulders most telling of all. "Because it's better if she doesn't get attached." 

The monk could barely believe what he was hearing. "Attached? You're trying to keep her from getting attached to you." He rubbed his forehead and raised an eyebrow. "You treat her like she has no value so she won't get attached to you." 

"That's not what I said." The hanyou looked over his shoulder and frowned. 

"No, it _is_ what you said, in so many words." 

Inuyasha rounded on Miroku, stuck between irritation and guilt. "She knows she has value! She doesn't need me to tell her." 

Miroku knew he was pushing his luck, but he hated seeing Kagome in pain. "She may know that, Inuyasha, but you always make her doubt herself! You treat her badly, and you don't encourage her even when she's doing a good job! _You_ make her doubt that she has the abilities needed to finish this mission!" 

That stung. Normally, Inuyasha would at least punch Miroku for talking to him like that, but the truth behind the monk's words hurt enough to stall him. 

Miroku saw the effect his words had on Inuyasha. He turned to walk back to the village, glancing over his shoulder. "It wouldn't hurt you to be a little nicer to her. She cares deeply about you, _despite_ all the things you do. Why can't you see that?" 

The hanyou watched him go, finally dropping his head to stare at the ground. Eventually, he moved from his spot, but it was only to leap into the nearest tree and find the highest branch that would support his weight. 

Inuyasha didn't want to hurt Kagome. He cared about her. Who else accepted him as he was? He could count them on one hand, at least the ones who were still alive. Sighing, he leaned back against the tree trunk and closed his eyes, digesting what Miroku had said.


	3. Mother Knows Best

Disclaimer: AngelsFall and Superforeigner aren't the owners of Inuyasha or any of his cute little friends. Sorry to disappoint you. We're still just hoping that the men in the black lawyer suits don't come to get us. >.>

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**Chapter Three:** Mother Knows Best

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Kagome huffed and growled as she climbed over the lip of the Bone Eater's Well, muttering less than complimentary things about a certain, "insufferable, suffocating, overbearing, ramen-for-brains" hanyou. She knew she shouldn't let him get to her like he did, but really, he deserved what he got when she sat him.

There were times when she was certain that Inuyasha cared for her. She was sure of it. However, there were days when she wondered if he even cared at all. "Shard detector" was what he'd called her on more than one occasion. Was that all he cared about? Was that all she was worth to him? It couldn't just be that, right? She sighed and entered her home. "I'm home. Again."

"Kagome!" her grandfather exclaimed. "Did you come back for the sacred scrolls I prepared for you? I noticed you left them behind!"

"No, Ojii-san, I just... forgot some things." Yeah, he'd buy that.

"Oh. Well, if you have room for them you should take them. You never know what kind of demon they might be useful against," he replied, sweeping a bit of dust towards the door to be swatted out into the sunshine later. "It's a dangerous time for young ladies, and I don't trust that demon friend of yours."

Kagome raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes at her grandfather. "Why not? He's done a pretty good job taking care of me so far!" Despite all the times that she and Inuyasha had argued, she still felt it was important for her family to remain blissfully unaware of the true amount of danger that she was constantly placed in. She didn't want them to seal the well or anything drastic like that.

The old man just muttered and shook his head, pushing past Kagome to open the door and continue his cleaning.

Kagome rolled her eyes again and made her way past the kitchen to the stairs, waving at her mother. "Ohayo, Okaa-san. I'm back for a while."

Her mother turned away from the cookies she was making to see her daughter headed towards the stairs. "Why hello dear. Is something wrong? You just left this morning."

"Er, no, I just forgot some stuff, is all. I'll be leaving again later." _Probably when Inuyasha comes to drag me back again,_ she thought sourly.

Mrs. Higurashi blinked, not entirely sure she should believe Kagome. "All right. Will you be staying for dinner?" She could finish the cookies, she decided, and then go talk to her oldest when the girl had been given a chance to settle in again. It was unusual for Kagome to come back so unexpectedly unless something had happened in the feudal era.

Kagome thought about it for, oh, half a second, before nodding happily. "Sure! Will you make oden?" She didn't care if Inuyasha did come to "fetch" her, as it were. She would sit him a few times, and he'd probably sit and have dinner with them.

"Of course," her mother answered with a smile. "Now run along and put that pack of yours away. Your shoulders must be aching."

"You have no idea." Kagome smiled and walked up the stairs, already feeling calmer than before. She sat her pack on the floor in her room and flopped onto her bed, looking at the ceiling.

It didn't take long for the rest of the house to realize she was home. Only a few minutes passed before Souta came bounding in, Buyo cradled in his arms. "Sis! I thought you left! Where's Inuyasha? Wasn't he with you?"

"He's back in Sengoku Jidai, Souta. I came back to get some things that I forgot." She reminded herself to decide on an extra item to be shoved into her pack, in order to properly justify her return.

Her little brother's face fell, and he almost dropped the calico, who howled his protest before leaping to the safety of Kagome's bed. "Oh."

Kagome rolled her eyes again. "Oh come on, Souta! I know you like him and think he's cool, but you shouldn't be so disappointed every time he doesn't show up. He'll probably come later."

"Why don't _you_ like him? You two fight all the time, but he seems really nice to me." Refusing to be deterred, Souta sat down on her bed next to Buyo, an expectant look on his face.

Kagome sat up and made a rather disgruntled face at her brother. "Souta! Even friends argue sometimes! It's really not a big deal."

"But you argue all the time," he pointed out.

Kagome frowned. She didn't have the heart to defame Inuyasha to her brother, who suffered from an obvious case of hero-worship. "Don't worry about it, okay? It really isn't a big deal. We don't argue as much in the Feudal Era. Coming here makes him cranky because of all of the air pollution and noise and stuff."

"Oh." Souta seemed to think about that, and then he grinned. "Okay!"

Kagome smiled and then grinned rather maliciously. "C'mere, you!" Without further warning, she grabbed her brother in a firm head-lock and gave him a noogie that he'd probably remember the rest of his life.

"AHH!!! Kagome!!! No fair!" He struggled in her grip, but it didn't take him long to get into the spirit of things and start tickling her in retaliation.

Kagome screeched and tickled her brother in all the spots she knew would render him defenseless. "Little brat! I am the tickle-master!"

Downstairs, Mrs. Higurashi had put her cookies in the oven and was wiping her hands dry on a kitchen towel. She could hear the shrieks and squeals of her children upstairs, and smiled to herself. It was good that they had each other. Kagome provided a good role model for her brother, while he kept her on her toes and cheered her up when she needed it.

Once their mother had decided that playtime had gone on long enough, she set the towel aside and headed upstairs, pausing just outside of Kagome's door to watch her children grappling with each other. She couldn't hide her amusement at the sight of them. When Kagome realized that they had an audience, she quickly pinned Souta and smiled victoriously up at her mother.

"Ahh!!!" Souta flailed and squirmed. "Make her get off!"

His mother just laughed. "You should know better than to get in a scuffle with your sister, Souta."

Kagome scrubbed Souta's hair once more before letting him up. "I'm still the champ!"

Still smiling, Mrs. Higurashi reached out and smoothed her son's hair. "Why don't you go call your grandfather inside? It'll be time for lunch soon, and I need to talk to your sister."

Souta nodded obediently and scampered out of the room, Buyo waddling after.

Kagome wondered briefly if she'd done something wrong and was going to get a stern talking to from her mother. She realized that she hadn't really been around enough to have done something that would deserve a scolding, so that couldn't be it. She smiled at her mother and scratched the back of her head. "What did you want to talk about?"

"We haven't really had a chance to talk for a long time, and I want to see how you're doing." Mrs. Higurashi's expression was gentle. Motherly concern filled her voice, but somehow managed to be unobtrusive at the same time.

"Oh. Well. We've gotten some new shards. We'll have the whole jewel in no time, if we keep going at this rate."

"And what about you and Inuyasha?"

Kagome shrugged nonchalantly. "What _about_ us? There's not much to tell, really. We argue all the time over the stupidest things. It gets on my nerves sometimes."

"Is that why you're here now?"

The younger Higurashi's shoulders slumped slightly. "Yeah, we had an argument this morning. We hadn't even left the Well when he started it."

Concerned, her mother moved to sit down beside Kagome on the bed. "What was it about?"

Kagome waved her hand and shrugged. "It's ridiculous, Okaa-san. He was upset because, of all things, Hojo-kun came to visit me."

At that, her mother laughed a little. "He's jealous."

"What? You've gotta be kidding me. He just thinks that every nanosecond I don't spend in Sengoku Jidai is a huge waste of his time."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled knowingly and patted her daughter on the knee. "You can tell yourself that if you want to, dear, but he cares about you."

Kagome crossed her arms and frowned. "Yeah right. I'm just a shard detector. He'll probably be glad to get rid of me once this is all over with."

"Don't be so sure."

"What do you mean?" Kagome's eyes narrowed suspiciously. How much was her mother going to try and psychoanalyze her over this?

"You'll understand someday." Mrs. Higurashi stood and headed for the door. "Would you like to come help me set lunch out?"

"Sure!" Kagome jumped up from her bed and went to help her mother set the table. This was her family and her "normal" life. Why was she beginning to feel like it wasn't really her home anymore?

Kagome's discomfort didn't go unnoticed by her mother, but Mrs. Higurashi could see it for what it was. Her daughter was growing up, and whether she realized it or not, she was making a home for herself in the Sengoku Jidai. Mrs. Higurashi knew that the work Kagome did there was important, but she also knew it was dangerous. She prayed that Inuyasha would keep her daughter safe, and then returned her concentration to the lunchtime routine.

* * *

**Author's note:** These first few chapters are pretty short, but they'll get longer. We promise.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to review. We really appreciate it. We're an English undergrad and alum, so when we hear that our work is enjoyable, it really makes us feel warm and fuzzy. Kagome's treatment of Inuyasha has been mentioned, and this is how we feel about it.

We agree that Kagome occasionally abuses the subduing spell, but on the other hand, we believe that Inuyasha hasn't done much to _discourage_ her from using it. We all get a little emotional sometimes, and Sit is Kagome's way of getting even with a rock-headed hanyou who's physically stronger and listening-impaired. And, he does deserve a lot of what he gets. Not all, but a lot. Their treatment of each other balances out later on during the plot.

Also, for some reason, while we were able to indent the paragraphs in the previous chapters, it doesn't seem to be working now. We'll figure out a way to fix this later. 


	4. All Your Base Are Belong To Us

Disclaimer: AngelsFall and Superforeigner wish that we owned Inuyasha and all his buddies, but alas, we do not. We hope that Takahashi-sama isn't too put off by our little fanfiction, and is kind enough to not send lawyers after us. We love you, Takahashi-sama! >.>

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**Chapter Four:** All Your Base Are Belong To Us

* * *

Two days had passed since Kagome had gone back through the well. Since then, Inuyasha had been uncommonly easy to find. For the most part, he kept near Kaede's hut, hands tucked in his sleeves as he sat on the roof. The hanyou was lost in his thoughts, wanting desperately to drag Kagome back to his era, but at the same time plagued my Miroku, Sango and Shippou's insistence that he give her a little consideration. _Fine_, he had told himself the night before. _She can come back on her own, instead of me forcing her._ That was being considerate, wasn't it?

Tiny scratching noises could be heard coming up the wall, followed by a small orange head peeking up to watch Inuyasha. Shippou hopped onto the roof and sat next to Inuyasha, tucking his hands in his sleeves like the hanyou. It seemed that the kit had been picking up some of his companions habbits and manerisms lately. All of the women around him hoped that he _wouldn't_ pick up any of Miroku's habbits, though. "Whatcha waitin' for?"

"Kagome," came Inuyasha's terse answer.

Shippou raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha. "You're kidding, right? You're actually waiting for her to come back this time?"

The older demon glared at the little fox, but didn't raise a hand to strike him ... yet. "What do you mean I'm actually waiting this time? I always wait!"

"For about ten minutes!"

Inuyasha raised a hand in warning. Shippou squeaked and covered his head with his hands. "You know it's true! You can never wait around for her to come back!"

"Can too," the hanyou insisted. He crossed his arms again and turned his nose up. "Keh. Stupid kitsune."

"So you're waiting for her now? What if she doesn't come back?!" The worry was evident in his eyes. Shippou had already lost both of his parents once. He couldn't stand the thought of possibly losing Kagome as well, especially due to Inuyasha's stupidity. "What if you scared her away for real this time?!"

Shippou was rewarded with another glare from Inuyasha. "She'll come back. She has the jewel shards. Now shut up and go away, you little pest."

The little fox began to sniffle in a sudden Inuyasha-induced panic. "You'd better go get her Inuyasha, or else she'll forget about us!"

"She willl not! Stop it already!"

"You're so mean, Inuyasha!" Shippou began to wail and promptly leaped down off the roof.

"NOT YOU TOO!!!" The urge to chase the tiny demon and pound him into the ground was strong, but Inuyasha firmly reminded himself that he was trying to consider Kagome's feelings, and she wouldn't feel very generous if she came back to discover he had beaten Shippou black and blue.

Sango came out of the hut and glared up at Inuyasha. She hadn't spoken to him since the day Kagome left, being simply too fed up with his thick-headedness to attempt any conversation. "What have you done to Shippou this time, Inuyasha?"

Feeling besieged, he protested, "I didn't do anything!" with arms flailing as the wind picked up his long white hair.

Sango huffed and gathered up the bawling Shippou, taking him back inside the hut.

* * *

Kagome nibbled on the nail of her index finger. It'd been two days since she'd seen Inuyasha. That equated to two days since he was due to come through the well to take her back in time. At first she'd stayed at her home just to spite him for being such a jerk. Now she was beginning to get worried. Why hadn't he come to get her yet, or at least yell at her a little?

The girl's restlessness hadn't gone unnoticed. While Mrs. Higurashi was glad her daughter had a chance to rest at home and catch up on some schoolwork, she knew that Inuyasha's absence didn't sit well with Kagome. She sighed as she double-checked her daughter's bag, making sure it was ready in case the hanyou showed up.

Kagome tried not to act nervous in front of her family. She didn't want to worry them. It wasn't like this was the first time that she'd come home and he hadn't followed like a trained lapdog. However, given the circumstances, she'd honestly expected him to have come back by now. She sighed and pushed away her homework, unable to concentrate on it any longer. She was afraid it would take a lot more studying before she could come up with a coherent English sentence.

After a few hours, Mrs. Higurashi ventured upstairs to look in on her daughter. She knocked lightly on Kagome's door, softly calling her name.

"Come on in, Okaa-san." Kagome pushed away from her desk and leaned back, rubbing her eyes with her palms tiredly.

Her mother opened the door and stepped inside, taking in the homework on Kagome's desk. "How are your studies?"

"I'm working on this English homework but everything I come up with always sounds really ridiculous." She closed the book and glanced discreetly out her window. Still no sign of Inuyasha. No red or silver perched in the tree. No irate gold eyes peeking through her window. Nothing.

"You're distracted." It was an observation, not a question, and Mrs. Higurashi decided to have a seat on Kagome's bed. This discussion could take awhile.

"I am not," Kagome retorted. "It just doesn't make any sense. Listen to this." She pulled a piece of paper from the book and skimmed it until finding the right line. "'All your base are belong to us. You have no chance to survive make your time.' What is that supposed to mean?! I can't turn this in."

"You're distracted," her mother repeated.

Kagome sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, now that you're my new shrink, since I probably need one of _anyway_, why don't you tell me what's distracting me?"

Her mother smiled. "Inuyasha hasn't shown up yet."

"What?! I don't just mope around waiting for him to come tell me what to do, you know! I have better things to do with my time! Like... like homework!" She huffed and tried to look cross. How did her mother know her so well? Aside from that whole, "giving birth and raising her" thing, of course.

"But you're worried," Mrs. Higurashi clarified. "He normally would have come after you by now, right?"

Kagome sighed. "You're right. At least, after an argument like we had. I sat him _four times_ in a row."

"That's a bad thing, right?"

"Er... for him, yes." Kagome averted her gaze guiltily for a moment. _Well, he deserved it,_ she thought.

That's what she'd thought, but keeping track of Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship was difficult, even for Mrs. Higurashi. "Maybe he's trying to give you some space."

"Yeah right, like that would ever happen. I told you, to him I'm just a shard detector." _And he has Kikyou, anyway,_ she thought sadly. _He doesn't really want me._ "I'm worried that he's gotten his fool self in trouble without me there to babysit him."

"Then maybe you should go check on him."

"I... guess I should. I'll go get my pack ready." Kagome stood and stretched, popping a few joints. "Thanks for being so understanding about this."

Something like sadness touched Mrs. Higurashi's eyes, but it was mingled with pride and motherly affection. "You have obligations to your friends. It would be wrong of me to keep you from them."

Kagome didn't miss the look in her mother's eyes. She wondered sometimes if her mother had any real idea of how much danger she was put (and put herself) in on a daily basis. She hoped that wasn't the case. She didn't want her mother to worry about her more than she already did. "You're right. It's my fault that the Shikon no Tama got shattered, so it's my duty to help them as much as I can."

"Kagome," her mother said, "that's not what I meant." She stood and took her daughter's hands in hers. "From what you've told me, it seems like they need your friendship more than your ability to find the shards." Trying to lighten the mood, she joked, "Someone has to teach those boys manners, after all, and your friend Sango can't do it alone."

"Well, they'd certainly have a lot more bruises if Sango tried to do it by herself, anyway." Kagome grinned and hugged her mother. "I wish you could meet them."

"So do I." Mrs. Higurashi returned the hug, then stepped away. "Let me know when you're ready to leave."

"All right. I just need to check the supplies in my pack and change clothes, then I'll be ready."

Nodding, her mother left the room and headed downstairs. She hoped she was right, that Inuyasha was just giving Kagome her space, and that something bad hadn't happened.

Kagome unzipped her big yellow bag to do a quick inventory of its contents. She realized that her mother had probably added some things, since she didn't remember packing a few of the extra items. She called a "thank you" down the stairs and quickly changed and brushed her teeth. Deeming that she was ready, she picked her pack up and made her way down the stairs. "It's time for me to go now, Okaa-san. I shouldn't hold up the group any more than I already have."

"Be careful, dear." Her mother embraced her, then handed her a container of freshly baked cookies. "I thought your friends might like some."

"Oh, thank you! I'll have to be very careful with these or Shippou will eat them all!" She grinned and waved. "I'll see you."

As Kagome walked out the door and towards the well house, her mother sighed and whispered, "Be safe." 


	5. Pledges and Duties

Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers regarding college students being broke bums who have nothing better to do than write fanfiction apply here. Also, all standard disclaimers regarding broke bum college students not owning Inuyasha also apply here. Have mercy, have mercy!

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**Chapter Five:** Pledges and Duties

* * *

Since Kagome had left, no one had been able to talk Inuyasha off of Kaede's roof. He would have far preferred waiting in one of the trees near the well, but he was supposed to be giving her space. That meant he would live on the roof until she came back. Even if he was bored. So bored he was imagining shapes in the clouds. So bored he was actually trying to compose speeches to Kagome in his mind. So bored he could swear he was imagining her scent...

Kagome stood patiently in the bottom of the well for a good solid five minutes. She checked her watch. She waited. She checked her watch again. "This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed, before hauling herself up and out of the well. Not especially hard, but Inuyasha was normally around to do it. This somehow confirmed her suspicion that he had met some horrible fate. So, she ran to the village to see if he was there, hoping he wasn't injured _too_ badly...

He must really be bored. Now he could swear that her smell was becoming stronger. He wrinkled his nose and tried to ignore it. He had to come up with something decent to say to her when she got back.

He'd have his chance sooner than he thought. Kagome emerged from the woods around Kaede's village and marched purposefully to the elder Miko's hut. Inuyasha would be there if he'd been injured. And if not, well, he had a lot of explaining to do.

"Kagome, I shouldn't have done what I did," he murmured to himself, trying the words on his tongue. The roof of Kaede's hut blocked his view of the forest, to help keep him from wanting to tear off to the well, so he didn't see Kagome's approach. His nose twitched. Why was her smell getting stronger? Unless... Had she come back? Oh Kami. He wasn't ready yet!

Oblivious of the hanyou on the roof, Kagome entered Kaede's hut. The old woman sat by the fire, separating herb flowers and leaves from their stems.

"Konbanwa, Kaede-baa-chan. Have you seen Inuyasha in the past couple of days? He didn't come to get me and I'm worried something might have happened to him."

"Welcome back child," the old woman replied. "Did you not see him? Inuyasha is--" A yelp and a loud thump interrupted the old miko, and she sighed as she amended, "--_was_ on the roof."

The hanyou in question was lying face-down on the ground. He had heard Kagome in the hut, and leaned over the edge of the roof near the door to better hear her. A treacherous shingle had slipped under his claws, dropping him to the ground so suddenly he didn't even have time to twist in the air.

Kagome spun and hurried outside to face the aforementioned hanyou. Had he heard what she'd just said? Suddenly, she found herself terribly annoyed at him, not only for failing to retrieve her from the modern era, but also for eavesdropping on her conversations! "Inuyasha, where have you been?!"

"On the roof. Ow..." He moaned against the ground. Maybe if he just stayed plastered to the dirt, she wouldn't sit him.

_So, all of that emotional turmoil for THIS?!_ she thought, disbelieving. "Why didn't you come and get me?"

"I thought you were mad at me." His answer was muffled against the ground. _Gah. My back._

"That's never stopped you before!"

"Well it did this time!"

"Why?!"

"Because." Again his reply was muffled. How could he admit that Miroku had convinced him to be more considerate? And why was she acting this way? He'd been trying to take her feelings into account, and she was yelling at him!

Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and breathed in deeply, then exhaled slowly. He'd probably gone to see Kikyou. _Again._ Why did she even bother caring about him when he'd rather associate with a walking bag of dirt than with her? Kagome stomped her foot on the wooden porch once and walked back inside the hut without another word.

When she stomped away, Inuyasha actually indulged in a whimper, one so quiet only he could hear it.

"Kagome!!!" Another much smaller voice exclaimed, tiny furry paws trampling Inuyasha as Shippou made a mad dash for the hut. "Kagome, I'm so glad you're back!"

Kagome smiled and gathered the kitsune into her arms. "I'm glad to be back too, Shippou."

"OW!" Inuyasha writhed comically as the kitsune landed on his sore body, and made a grasp at the little demon's tail, missing to his chagrin. "You little rat!" he shouted at the hut where Shippou had disappeared.

"I was worried that Inuyasha scared you away forever!" The worry was evident on the kit's face, but he paused to poke his head through the door and stick his tongue out at Inuyasha. "You're lucky this time, you big stupidhead! You'd be really sorry if she didn't come back!"

Popping sore joints, Inuyasha pushed himself of the ground and entered the hut. He glared at the fox and said, "We already had this argument! Why are we having it again?"

Shippou made a face at Inuyasha, but turned his attentions back to Kagome. "He was waiting for you to come back," he stated simply. "He sat up on the roof the whole time! He looked like a trained dog."

Kagome raised her eyebrows. "Is that so?"

What?! A trained dog?! Why that little ... "Shippou," Inuyasha growled warningly.

Shippou squeaked and hid out of Inuyasha's sight behind Kagome's shoulder. "You did, and you know it!" came the muffled reply.

Inuyasha just kept growling, until suddenly a staff descended on his head in a blur of gold and brown.

"Terribly sorry, Inuyasha!" Miroku cried, wearing the same expression he used on women he was about to ask to bear his children. "I thought you were a different demon. Kagome-sama, it's good to see you back!"

"Miroku-sama! I'm glad to be back. I might have been back sooner if _some_one had come to visit me." She gave Inuyasha a scathing glance but turned back to Miroku. "When will we be leaving to look for more shards?"

"Whenever you're ready, of course." The monk nudged Inuyasha not-so-subtlely with the end of his staff. "Isn't that right?"

"Keh!"

"That sounds great! Where's Sango?"

"With Kirara near the river," Miroku answered pleasantly.

Kagome nodded. "Well, I think that tomorrow would be good. We can all rest up and make sure that we have all the supplies we need."

"A wise decision." Kaede spoke up as she prepared an herbal compress for Inuyasha. She handed it to the hanyou, who stubbornly shoved it away. Kaede simply smiled, knowing he would probably use it once he was sure no one could see him. She had heard his back cracking as he sat up, and guessed it felt nearly as bad as the time Kagome had sat him until a boulder crushed him.

Kagome smiled and nodded again. She glanced at Miroku and asked in a soft, nonchalant tone, "Can I talk to you later, Miroku-sama?"

Her hanyou protector growled, but the monk ignored him and said, "Of course."

* * *

Later that evening, Kagome sat on a hill on the outskirts of the village. Kirara sat in her lap, brought along as protection in case someone decided to attack the women while they were alone.

Beside her, Sango sorted herbs gathered for various potions. It was a beautiful night, and the peace and quiet away from the men--or perhaps boys was a better word--suited the demon slayer.

Kagome sighed deeply as she scritched behind Kirara's ears. She was still trying to figure out the reasons that Inuyasha hadn't come for her in the future, and on top of that, her dream was still bothering her. She sighed again and leaned back on the hill, resting her head in her hands.

"You've been awfully quiet, Kagome-chan," her friend observed, carefully checking a particular herb to be certain the plant was healthy enough for her purposes. "What is bothering you?"

Kagome shrugged. "I just have lots of things on my mind, Sango-chan."

The taijiya smiled knowingly. "Would those things include a certain boy with dog ears?"

Kagome groaned and would have rolled on her side had Kirara not still been perched on her legs. "Oh Sango-chan, he's so impossibly frustrating! Just when I think we've reached an understanding, he does something just to throw me for a loop. I'll never understand him."

"The feeling is probably mutual."

"Probably. I just wish he'd talk to me the way _we_ talk to each other. He has so many walls up, sometimes I feel like I don't even know him at all."

That was true. Sango understood the confusion such personal barriers caused. She had enough of her own, and Miroku as well, though he hid them behind his lecherous exterior. She thought for a moment before replying. "Inuyasha has been badly hurt by people he trusted. That he managed to survive to adulthood--alone--says a lot about him. His walls are his way of surviving in a world that doesn't want to make a place for him."

"I know." Kagome rubbed her forehead. "I probably shouldn't think that just because we've been through so much together that he could open up and trust me a little more. I wonder if... if he was... I wonder if he was open with Kikyou." She sat up abruptly and hung her head, using her hair as a privacy curtain around her face. "I think I'll always be second best to her in his eyes."

"Don't say that," Sango protested. "Inuyasha values you. He trusts you more than anyone."

"Well he sure doesn't act like it. I'm getting so tired of the way he treats me, Sango-chan. I know it sounds horrible, but Shippou was right. Sometimes I just want to go home and not come back." She sighed and blinked her eyes to ward away unwelcome tears. "But I know I can't. I have to fulfill my duty. And... you guys are my friends."

"Kagome-chan..." Sango was at a loss for words. Finally, she set her herbs aside and pulled Kagome into a loose, sisterly embrace. "I know it's difficult to see, but you can find it if you look. Inuyasha doesn't know any other way to be. You have to teach him. If you choose..." She took a deep breath. "If you choose to leave and not return, we will all respect your decision, but we will miss you, Inuyasha most of all."

Kagome returned the embrace with one arm, giving Kirara a reassuring pat with her free hand. "I won't do that, Sango-chan. I promise."

The wind picked up and blew Sango's ponytail over her shoulder, causing the ends to get in both girls' faces. The taijiya made an exasperated noise and yanked her hair out of the way before saying, "Good, but I will miss the chance to tie Inuyasha down and seal him in a hut."

Kagome grinned mischievously. "We could do that anyway, you know..."

"Miroku could be bribed to help us..."

"He might ask us to bear his children in return for the favor." Kagome wrinkled her nose, but then remembered that she had asked to speak with Miroku earlier. She should probably go find him.

Sango shrugged. "He always asks that. Besides, we could probably pacify him by not giving him a beating next time he sneaks a peak at the hot springs."

"That's true. He wouldn't be Miroku if he didn't ask that, I guess." She giggled and handed Kirara over to her mistress before standing up and stretching. "I'm heading back to the village, Sango-chan."

"I'll walk with you. I have everything I need." The taijiya gathered her herbs into a basket, and smiled as Kirara jumped in with them. "Do you suppose Inuyasha's pummeled Miroku for hitting him yet?"

Kagome shook her head and winked. "Maybe. If he's quit sulking."


	6. Promises to Keep

Disclaimer: By now we're pretty sure you all realize that AngelsFall and Superforeigner don't own Inuyasha. ... Why do we even bother with these disclaimers anyway? What...? Oh, right. The lawyers.

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**Chapter Six:** Promises To Keep

* * *

Kaede's hut was unusually quiet. Inuyasha had disappeared into the trees long ago, and Sango was outside working with the old miko. Miroku was bent over several ofudas, eying them critically.

"Did I do them right, Miroku-sama? Aside from the ones my Ojii-san sent, that is." Kagome sat cross-legged a short distance away from Miroku, far enough away and at an angle so that she could deflect any wandering hands and stop trouble before it started. She watched Miroku as he looked over the ofuda's that she had written, comparing them to the ones her grandfather had made, and several others that he had written himself.

"These are very good, Kagome-sama," the monk praised. "I think you are ready to learn more."

Kagome beamed at the words of praise. With both Miroku and Kaede helping to train her, her miko powers had been increasing. But then she remembered the reason that she'd asked to speak with him in the first place.

"Miroku-sama, could we study more later? There are some things I need to talk with you about."

Curious, he nodded his assent and set the ofudas aside. "What do you wish to speak of?"

"Well, I had this dream a few days ago. More of a nightmare, really. It was very frightening, I was terrified when I woke up. I was hoping that maybe you could help me figure out what it meant."

"A nightmare?" Miroku folded his arms in his sleeves, a serious expression on his face. "Is this why Inuyasha went back to your era for you?"

Kagome blushed. "Actually, I came here first. I was so scared when I woke up that I ran straight for the well. It was the middle of the night." She fidgeted nervously as she sat, wondering if Miroku would think she'd finally lost her marbles.

A raised eyebrow hinted that he was wondering a little about her state of mind, but all he said was, "Go on."

Kagome sighed deeply and began to retell her dream, shuddering at the memory. "It was dark, like night time, but I think it was day." She paused for a second before continuing. "We were fighting Naraku. The whole group was there. We weren't doing too well..."

Miroku nodded, as if it were to be expected.

"We were all injured, but we kept fighting anyway. But Inuyasha was wounded more than any of us. He was bleeding all over the place." She left out certain details of her dream, feeling they weren't necessary for the big picture. "I fired an arrow at Naraku, and I heard it hit something. But it wasn't my arrow I'd heard." She swallowed and tried to control the sound of disgust in her voice at the mention of the undead miko. "It was Kikyou. She shot Inuyasha. I tried to save him..."

"Kagome-sama..." His tone was gentle, compassionate. He stood and moved closer to her, settling beside her with no lecherous intentions, merely offering comfort.

Her voice wavered. "It was too late to save him, Miroku-sama. Kikyou dragged him away to Hell and I couldn't do anything to stop it. And then Naraku..." She gestured vaguely to her stomach and shuddered. "Naraku impaled me while I was distracted."

Uncharacteristically, Miroku reached out to her with no hidden intentions. He simply took her hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze. Inuyasha would probably beat him black and blue later for touching the young miko, but he didn't mind. "You're afraid that this was more than just a dream."

"It's not impossible! It could have been a... a premonition or a vision or something!" Kagome bit her lip and looked distressed and worried. Being fairly unfamiliar with the potential powers that came with being a priestess, she knew not to rule out any possibilities. It _was_ possible that this dream had been more than that, and she didn't want to be caught unawares.

"I know," he soothed. "Your fears are justified, especially under the circumstances."

She sighed again and met his eyes. "What can I do?"

"Accept the warning, but do not obsess over it."

Before either of them had a chance to say anything futher, a red-clad hanyou stomped into the hut and shouted, "Oi! What're you doing?!"

Miroku hastily dropped Kagome's hand and scooted away. "Inuyasha, it's not what you're thinking."

Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin in surprise. Even though she and Miroku hadn't been doing anything, she still felt slightly guilty. "Inuyasha! Miroku-sama and I were just talking."

Her "rescuer" growled and glared at the monk. "And touching."

"He wasn't groping me! He was just holding my hand. Is there something so terrible about that?"

Inuyasha ground his teeth and clenched his fists, but mercifully did nothing to the monk.

"It was all innocent, I swear," Miroku said, now holding the hands in question in front of him as a sign of capitulation.

Kagome felt slight indignation at the dog hanyou. How could he think she'd actually do anything untoward with such a perverted monk?! Or with anyone else, for that matter... She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Was there something you wanted, Inuyasha?"

His anger seemed to bleed out of him a little, and he crossed his arms. "Kaede wants you."

"Fine." Her answer was clipped as she gathered her ofudas and tucked them away into her backpack, huffing and hurrying out of the house.

"Keh. What was that all about?" Inuyasha sneered. He couldn't understand that girl. Sometimes he didn't think he ever would.

"You should take the time to interpret the situation before jumping to conclusions," Miroku suggested before following Kagome outside. Groping Sango when she had Hiraikotsu handy was safer than lingering near the hanyou after touching Kagome.

* * *

The moon was a waning crescent, high in the nighttime sky. A small fire burned in the middle of the clearing, and a kettle of water as well as a few pieces of skewered meat had been left to heat over the fire.

The group of shard hunters sat together, gathered around the fire. Shippou was perched on Kagome's knee, chewing on a bar of chocolate and listening to her tell a very exciting story (though it was actually just the retelling of a movie, but he didn't have to know that).

Per usual, Inuyasha kept watch from the boughs of a tree. His stomach rumbled as he breathed in the scent of cooking meat, but he remained silent. He was content simply to listen to the conversation below.

"And then, the samurai was given his reforged katana, and he could use it to command armies of the dead because he was the heir of the emperor!"

Shippou's eyes grew wide in awe. Sango and Miroku sat nearby, also listening to Kagome's story.

Inuyasha snorted, the only indication he was paying attention. The sword sounded like Sesshoumaru's, and in his mind, that equalled evil. Besides, what kind of human could command the dead?

Kagome shot a glare up at Inuyasha, but continued with her story. "The samurai used the help of the army of the dead to defeat the army of the dark lord, who had attacked the capital city of the land!"

"Wow! I want a sword like that!" exclaimed Shippou.

"Well," said Kagome, "you'd have to be the emperor's heir to use it."

Shippou crossed his tiny arms in consternation. "That's no fun."

The hanyou rolled his eyes, and shifted so his back was to the group. Senses focused on the landscape around them, he did his best to listen without actually looking like he cared enough to pay attention.

The breeze picked up slightly, rustling the leaves of the trees. Most of the group members didn't notice the long sinuous shape of a Shinidamachuu floating by, clutching a small glowing orb in it's spindly legs. One member did, though. Inuyasha stiffened and sniffed the air. If the Shinidamachuu weren't enough evidence, Kikyou's scent was. He frowned. If he went now, the group would ask questioons. Better to stay put until they fell asleep.

By this time, Kagome was almost finished with her story. "Then the evil ring fell into the chasm and was destroyed forever! The two hanyou were rescued from the fires by giant eagle youkai. Then the samurai was made emperor, and he married his one true love, even though she was an immortal youkai and he was not. And they all lived happily ever after." She nodded, pleased with her conclusion. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to be telling stories that wouldn't be written for another few hundred years, but then again, nobody else had to know.

Shippou yawned and snuggled into Kagome's arms. "That was a great story, Kagome!"

"Yeah, and I want to get some sleep sometime tonight," Inuyasha groused. Being near Kikyou with Kagome in attendance automatically put him in a foul mood. The fact that the heroes of the story were hanyou did little to cheer him up. "Isn't it a little late for whelps to be up?"

Sango raised an eyebrow at the hanyou. "You're awfully grouchy tonight, Inuyasha."

He glared at her and jumped down from his tree. "Well you people keep insisting on staying up late, and then you yell at me for wanting to get going in the morning because you're tired!"

Miroku waved his hands in a pacifying manner. "Be calm, friend. There's no reason to be offended. I agree, now would be a good time to settle down for the night." He eyed Sango suggestively and ducked when she took a swing at him with her fist.

"Fine." Trying to disguise his impatience to seek out Kikyou, Inuyasha leapt back into his tree and hunkered down.

Kagome watched him for a moment before shrugging off a vague feeling of apprehension and snuggling into her sleeping bag with an already-sleeping Shippou. She yawned and was asleep in minutes.

Soon enough, the steady, calm breathing of his companions assured Inuyasha that they were asleep. Silent but swift, he moved into the forest and then to the field adjoining. He followed the scent of his dead lover, not bothering to hide himself from her if she were waiting for him.

Kikyou stood in the field's center, surrounded by her soul collectors. In the moonlight and silver glow of the souls that she received, she looked even more pale and cold than normal. Her eyes rested on him, her expression betraying no emotion.

"Kikyou." He paused at the edge of the clearing, hands at his sides, expression neutral though there was something resembling longing in his eyes.

"Inuyasha." Kikyou's face seemed to have been carved from marble. "I began to wonder if you would come."

"Had to wait," he offered by way of explanation.

"You allowed yourself to be delayed by your companions. Why?" Her eyebrows raised slightly. "They have seen you in my company before."

The hanyou frowned. "And they have yet to react positively to it, so excuse me for using a little discretion."

Kikyou dismissed that conversation with a slight shrug. "How long until the Shikon no Tama is complete?"

Inuyasha stepped further into the clearing. "Why don't you tell me? You're the only one who's gotten anywhere near Naraku recently." There was a hint of accusation in his voice.

She turned to face him fully, striding with unearthly grace towards him until they were within arm's reach. "I simply ask because I do not wish for you to forget your promise to me, Inuyasha."

"Is that all you care about?" he snapped. Her nearness and the reminder of his oath discomfitted him. Did she always have to remind him? Even in his dreams he heard her beckoning him to Hell.

"My only purpose for existing now is to avenge myself by killing Naraku, and to take you with me when I've done so. Have you forgotten the circumstances of my resurrection?"

He growled and almost turned his back on her. "I was there." A part of him wanted to say that she shouldn't even exist, that she should return her soul to Kagome, but his honor and the love he'd once felt for her overwhelmed it. "We'll finish the jewel, but until then, you have no claim on me." Where had that come from?

Kikyou's eyes seemed to harden, if that were possible. There was a dangerous edge in her voice, like the point of an arrow. "Do not forget your commitment, Inuyasha." She turned and began to walk in the other direction, followed by her ghostly soul insects. "Do not let your emotions for that girl come between you and your promises."

He bristled, but didn't respond. She knew how to manipulate him, and on some levels it infuriated the hanyou, even while it made him ... what? Love her? No, that wasn't quite the word for it, but his devotion was real enough. Sighing, he turned as well and made his way back to the camp.

When Inuyasha reached the camp, he was greeted once again by the steady breathing of his sleeping companions. However, one of the breathing patterns was slightly faster and deeper than the others. Worried, he carefully approached the camp. What if it was Kagome? What if she was awake and had noticed he was gone? Deciding not to take a chance, he slipped into the trees and made his way back to his original perch. He hoped she wouldn't notice him...

Kagome lay on her back in her sleeping bag, Shippou curled up by her side. Though her eyes weren't open, she was wide awake. And even though human senses aren't nearly as sharp as those of a demon or a hanyou, she still heard the branch creak as Inuyasha settled back down. She sighed and wondered where he'd been, but had a hunch that she already knew.

Looking down on his companions, Inuyasha felt a swell of satisfaction to see them safely resting. It looked like Kagome hadn't noticed him--or if she had, she was ignoring him. That was fine. He didn't feel like talking about Kikyou right now.

"I'm glad you're back, Inuyasha," was all she whispered before rolling over and trying to go back to sleep.

He flinched. He was glad to be back, too, but he couldn't admit it without betraying his promise to Kikyou. He couldn't let himself get attached. He had to stay distant. How could he keep his promise to Kikyou if he had something in this world to hold him back? Uneasy and confused, he crossed his arms and leaned back against the tree trunk. Tomorrow. He'd sort things out tomorrow. Tonight, he just wanted to sleep, without dreams. 


	7. Feigned Forgiveness

Disclaimer: Insert witty disclaimer here.

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* * *

**Chapter Seven:** Feigned Forgiveness, Hurtful Misunderstandings

* * *

The atmosphere was subdued the following morning. Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara had easily picked up on the tension that had mounted between Inuyasha and Kagome since waking. The hanyou and miko in question weren't walking together. In fact, Inuyasha seemed to be doing his best to keep his distance. He was constantly scouting ahead, or falling behind to ensure that they weren't being followed.

The expression on Kagome's face as she travelled with her friends wasn't one of anger or sadness, but rather one of resignation. She wondered how many times before Inuyasha had gone to see Kikyou while the rest of them slept. It upset her to know that she'd always play second fiddle to the undead miko, but she knew that Kikyou had been Inuyasha's first love, and that isn't an easy thing to forget. 

Miroku watched as Inuyasha sprinted ahead in search of still more youkai who weren't actually around. The monk sighed and glanced at Kagome, then at Sango. If Inuyasha had managed to upset Kagome while no one was looking, it meant the pair would need some help getting things resolved. He moved closer to Sango. With a little luck, she could soothe Kagome's ego while he risked life and limb to work with Inuyasha. 

Sango's eyes darted warily to the monk as he approached. There was a clear warning in her eyes. _Touch and die._ Of course, Miroku had seen that warning many times before and it hadn't stopped him. "Yes, Houshi-sama?" 

For the second time in a week, his mind was on purer things. Miroku bowed his head and said softly, "You have doubtless noticed Inuyasha and Kagome's behavior towards each other." 

"It's nothing new, Houshi-sama. Inuyasha has undoubtedly hurt Kagome's feelings with his stupidity." She followed that statement with a pointed glare at Inuyasha's back. 

He sighed and nodded. "I realize this, but I feel it necessary for us to intervene in this instance. I assume you would prefer to deal with Kagome rather than Inuyasha?" 

Sango sighed and nodded. She didn't know how Inuyasha had managed to upset Kagome between the time that their group had gone to sleep and when they had woken up, but there was a definite tension between them and it caused all of the group to feel anxious. 

"Excellent," Miroku murmured. He glanced at Inuyasha, who was doubling back again. "I'll join our hanyou friend on rearguard." 

Sango nodded and approached Kagome, adjusting Hiraikotsu on her back. 

Kagome walked along silently beside her bicycle. Shippou sat perched on her shoulder, yawning widely. It was obvious that the young miko's thoughts were elsewhere, judging the distant look in her eyes. 

Inuyasha growled when Miroku moved with him into the woods. "Wha'd'ya want, monk?" he snapped. 

Miroku lifted his hands in an appeasing gesture, his face constantly calm and collected. "Oh, nothing, nothing. Just to talk a bit." 

The hanyou snorted and glanced back at Sango and Kagome. He wondered what the hell Miroku was up to. Those girls had their heads together, and he'd bet anything the fact that Miroku was walking with him was no coincidence. 

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Sango asked as they walked. "You've been quiet all morning. Did Inuyasha do something?" 

Kagome pursed her lips, wondering if she should tell Sango the truth or not. She supposed it didn't make that much of a difference if Sango knew or not. "Sango-chan, I think that Inuyasha saw... _her_ last night." 

"Her?" Sango was confused for a moment, but then her eyes widened. "Oh! You mean..." She lowered her voice. "You mean Kikyou." 

Kagome nodded. "I think so. I woke up and he was gone from the tree he'd been sitting in. I didn't see her or her Shinidamachuu or anything, but I just have this feeling, you know? I'm pretty sure he went to see her." She frowned. "Anyway, he always acts like this after he sees her. He always tries to avoid me." 

Trying to soften her tone even though she thinks Kagome's right and Inuyasha should be beaten over the head multiple times, Sango soothed, "Maybe he's acting this way because he's afraid of hurting you." 

"Doesn't he realize that it upsets me more when he acts evasive like some criminal?" 

"He's a male. What do you expect?" Sango joked. 

Kagome chuckled. "I guess you're right. Still, I wish he'd talk to me." 

"Miroku's working on it." The taijiya winked. 

"So..." Miroku said. 

"So what?" Inuyasha groused. 

"You seem... off... today." 

"What the hell are you talking about?" Inuyasha briefly considered taking to the trees, but Kagome would sit him for leaving Miroku alone in the wilderness, even if the monk could take care of himself. "I'm fine." 

Miroku shook his head. "You might be fine, Inuyasha, but everyone here doesn't feel that way." 

"Maybe that's because you're all humans who prefer the easy life indoors." 

Miroku was suddenly tempted to reintroduce Inuyasha's head to the heavy end of his shakujo, but he decided against it. Perhaps it would be best to act straightforward in this case? He cleared his throat. "Inuyasha, what did you do to make Kagome unhappy?" 

Crap. The monk probably suspected, and Inuyasha knew from experience that Miroku would push until he either had the answer he wanted, or a lump on his head. Deciding it wasn't quite time for drastic measures, he spat, "Nothing!" in answer. 

"Inuyasha! What did you do? Kagome's been acting strange all morning and you're the only one who ever makes her act that way!" 

The pointed, furry ears flattened in the nest of Inuyasha's thick hair, and their owner growled faintly. "I am not!" 

"Yes," Miroku argued, "you are. She never gets this way when I grope her! She only gets angry and slaps me. She's a hard hitter, too..." He felt his thought tangents begin to travel into dangerous territory, especially considering the now murderous-looking hanyou walking next to him. "That is to say, none of us ever cause her such distress, Inuyasha." 

"Well, since you're so damn wise, why don't _you_ tell me what I did wrong!" 

The monk shrugged. "I don't know, Inuyasha. She's been this way since we woke up this moring." 

Inuyasha couldn't hide his guilt. His ears drooped, and he muttered, "I thought she hadn't noticed." 

"Hadn't noticed what?" 

If possible, the hanyou hunkered down even more as he walked. "That I left my tree." 

"To go..." Miroku let the sentence trail of, hoping the dog hanyou would complete it for him. 

He didn't, of course. Miroku was perfectly capable of drawing his own conclusions from the expression on the hanyou's face. 

And draw conclusions he did. Miroku groaned and rubbed his forehead. Of course, Inuyasha was, he supposed, entitled to visits with Kikyou. He didn't like it, however, and he knew Kagome didn't like it at all. "You went to see Kikyou. And Kagome _knows_ you went to see Kikyou. Which explains her behavior." 

"Yeah," he mumbled. "She caught me coming back. I was kind of hoping she'd think I'd just gone out to scout for youkai. I didn't want her to be upset." 

"Kagome knows better than that." Miroku sighed. "You need to talk to her, Inuyasha." 

"No I don't. She'll just sit me." 

"I doubt that Kagome-sama would sit you for trying to be honest with her. You just have to use some tact." 

"How the hell is that supposed to fix anything?" Inuyasha demanded. "She hates it when I see Kikyou! What difference does it make whether we talk about it or not?" 

Miroku covered his face with his hand and released an exhasperated sigh. "Idiot. Don't you think she'd feel better if you told her yourself? You know, openness and communication and whatnot." 

"I think she'll feel better when she's heard enough from me and makes me kiss dirt again!" 

"I could make you do that just as easily," said the irritated monk, jingling his shakujo meaningfully. 

Inuyasha growled again, but beneath his hostile exterior, his thoughts were roiling. The monk had a point, and a good one as much as he hated to admit it. Kagome was always telling Inuyasha the she wished they talked more, that she wanted him to let her in. He just didn't think that safe subject matter included Kikyou. For one thing, he worried about Kagome's temper and the power she held over him with her damn incantation. For another, he didn't like to risk thinking of Kagome and Kikyou at the same time. It confused him in a way nothing else did. 

Miroku grinned when he realized that he'd been victorious in this small argument. He jingled the rings of his shakujo again. "Go on, talk to her." It wasn't a request. 

Talk to her? Now? The hanyou cast an incredulous glance back towards the woman, and shuddered visibly. "But she's... Sango... They're... " He gulped. "Kagome doesn't look too happy right now." 

Miroku growled and poked the hanyou in the back with his staff. "Go!" 

"Ouch!" 

Sango giggled when she heard Inuyasha's yelp of pain. "I think houshi-sama is about finished with him, Kagome," she commented, careful to keep her back turned to the males. 

Shippou giggled as well. "Do you think he's knocked some sense into him?" 

The taijiya rolled her eyes. "It's not likely. I'm more curious to see what Inuyasha tries next. He has to do something to get Miroku off his back." 

Kagome shook her head and smiled. "He's never one to let anyone else have the last word in an argument, is he?" 

Sango snickered. "Buddha forbid he should be outdone on the path to enlightenment." Sobering, she asked, "What will you say to Inuyasha if he finally decides to join the group again?" 

She shrugged. "I don't know, really. It depends on what he says, I guess." 

"Are you going to use the rosary on him?" 

"No," she said simply. She didn't really feel the need to explain, but she simply didn't have the heart to pummel Inuyasha today. 

Her friend frowned. Kagome's response had been lackluster, to say the least. Not that the miko abused her power over the hanyou, but she wasn't exactly delicate in her handling of him. Sango had expected a stronger reaction on the girl's part. 

Kagome noticed Sango's look and faked a smile. "Don't worry about it, Sango-chan. I'm probably just overreacting. And anyway, it's not like I have a say in what Inuyasha does." 

"Yes you do," the taijiya insisted. "He's here to protect you. Isn't that why you started travelling together in the first place?" 

"Actually," said Kagome, "we started travelling together because I broke the Shikon no Tama and Inuyasha nearly had a cow." It didn't occur to her that Sango had probably never heard that expression before as she continued her explanation. "Sure, he protects me, but he needs me to find the shards for him." _It all comes back to me being his shard detector, after all..._

"Damn it monk! I'm going already!" came Inuyasha's shouts from behind them. 

Kagome stifled a giggle, but Shippou didn't bother. Kagome patted the kit's head and handed him gently over to Sango. "Could you watch him for a while, Sango-chan?" 

"Of course. Let's go pick up Miroku, Shippou. He probably needs a ride. Kirara?" At her mistress' request, the fire cat transformed to her larger self. Sango set Shippou in the thick fur of Kirara's ruff, then got on behind him before the cat turned to find the monk. 

"Thanks, Sango-chan!" called Kagome as the taijiya turned to go. Now all she had to do was face Inuyasha again. Piece of cake, right? Right. No problem. 

She'd find out how true that was in a moment. The hanyou bounded ahead of her, did a cursory search of the area, then dropped back to walk by her side. 

The girl watched him with mild interest as he scoured the area for any danger, nose twitching and ears swivelling in all directions. When Inuyasha finally decided to fall back, Kagome walked on in silence for a moment, hoping that he'd take the initiative to speak first. 

"So..." "So..." Stupid wench. She was the one who was all upset. She was the one who should do the talking. Inuyasha was _not_ going to risk her wrath by opening his big mouth. 

After a few moments of the rather awkward silence, Kagome decided that Inuyasha wasn't going to make the first move, so to speak. But what could she say? She didn't feel quite comfortable with the idea of completely baring her soul to him when he quite possibly wouldn't understand her feelings or not know how to respond. "I... I'm not angry with you, you know." 

His jaw dropped. "You're not?!" 

Okay, so that was a lie. A teeny weeny little white one, but a lie nonetheless. She wasn't angry at _him_, per se, but rather at the whole situation. Not to mention with herself, for allowing said situation to become such a tangled mess. "You have every right to see Kikyou." Her voice faltered slightly on her incarnate's name, but she pressed on. "I mean, I know she's important to you and all. I don't want to stand in the way of your relationship with her." Kagome schooled her features into a neutral expression, keeping her eyes fixed on the path ahead of them. It wouldn't do to go running into trees or anything like that. 

"K - Kagome ... " Inuyasha trailed off. How could he tell Kagome that his seeing Kikyou had nothing to do with her, without making her angry? He didn't mean it in a negative way! He just meant that Kagome shouldn't be worried about his actions where the other miko was concerned. "Uh, thank you," he decided to say instead. There. Nice and neutral and considerate. Miroku would be proud. 

Of course, the thanks had quite the opposite effect on Kagome. _So he really does love her still. It doesn't matter what I do. She'll always be first in his heart._ She was suddenly jarred from her thoughts as the front wheel of her bicycle collided with the trunk of a thick tree. She lowered her head and hissed as she jerked her bike back onto the road and continued to walk. 

"You sure you want to keep dragging that thing along?" Inuyasha asked tentatively. He didn't like to see her struggling... ever. Even if it was just with some stupid contraption from her time. Wait... when had he started feeling that way? At first he'd loved seeing her bicycle get her in trouble. It had amused him when the machine that was supposed to make traveling easier had actually made it harder. Now he had to pretend to be frustrated by the damn thing to mask his concern. 

"Yeah," she mumbled. Finally the two cleared the forest, which opened into a large field. Kagome paused and looked over her shoulder. "We should wait for the others." 

Inuyasha shook his head and pointed down the field. "Actually, they're waiting for us." Sure enough, Kirara was standing some distance away, with two humans and a kitsune seated beside her. "I heard them fly ahead while we were talking." 

"Oh." Kagome mounted her bike and moved to start pedalling to meet her friends. "Want a lift?" 

"Um ... sure." Inuyasha waited until she was well on her way before carefully jumping onto the back of the bike and crouching in his usual place. "You're sure you're not mad?" he asked again, not quite able to believe what she'd said before. 

"It's your life, Inuyasha," she said, more or less repeating what she'd told Sango earlier. "You have to make your own choices." _And I can't force you to choose one thing over another._

The hanyou looked at the ground and flattened his ears. Somehow, her response hadn't made him feel any better. 

It didn't make Kagome feel any better either. But she felt as though she didn't want to stand in the way of Inuyasha's destiny, whatever it was, and whether she was a part of it or not. He had the right to choose for himself what his path would be. If Inuyasha wanted her to be more a part of his life than she already was, she sincerely hoped that he would let her know, one way or another.

* * *

It hadn't taken long for Kagome and Inuyasha to emerge from the forest, Sango noted as she watched them cross the field on Kagome's pink metal iron "bike" contraption. She frowned and wondered how their conversation went, deciding she'd have to ask later. She crossed her arms and leaned against Kirara. "I'd have made him walk," she commented dispassionately. 

Beside her, the houshi smiled as he leaned back against the cat as well and closed his eyes. "Kagome is an extraordinarily forgiving soul," he replied, "though I am surprised that she didn't sit him hard enough to shake the entire forest." 

"He must have said something very good or she must be _very_ forgiving. _I_ wouldn't put up with the sort of thing that he puts her through." Sango glanced at Miroku meaningfully. 

Her efforts were lost on the monk, who was still resting peacefully. For a moment, it seemed as though he was sleeping. Then he answered, "Inuyasha is afraid." 

"And with reason!" spat Sango. "If you ask me, he's not afraid enough. Always tempting fate with his big mouth and stupid comments. I'm surprised he doesn't get sat more than he does." 

Miroku sighed. "That's not what he's afraid of." 

The taijiya furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean, Houshi-sama?" 

"I mean ... " Here, Miroku opened his eyes to fix Sango with the patient stare of a teacher. "... that Inuyasha is afraid of Kagome's affection for him." 

Sango stared at the monk for a moment, dumbfounded. "You're kidding. That... what... I mean... why? Why would he be afraid of her loving him? She does so much for him to show that she cares and he's afraid?" 

"Perhaps his fear is founded in experience." 

"Kagome wouldn't hurt him!" She paused and glanced in their direction again. "At least, not intentionally. Aside from sitting him. And he always deserves that, anyway." Sango frowned mightily. "She's not like Kikyou. Even if she won't admit it, it's obvious that she loves Inuyasha with all her heart. She would never betray him, and never believe he would do such a thing to her." 

The monk sighed and shook his head. "My dear Sango, you must expand your view. Look beyond Kikyou. Has no one ever spoken to you of Inuyasha's life before the Shikon no Tama?" 

Sango sighed and deflated from her righteous indignation on Kagome's behalf. Yes, she'd heard stories. Stories of a child without a mother or a father, without a home, without love, without acceptance. A child caught between two worlds that could not be consolidated or reconciled, and therefore hated or feared by both. She nodded her head. "Hai, Houshi-sama. I've heard of it." 

Miroku nodded, satisfied, and continued. "Inuyasha has not said so, but I believe he chooses to distance Kagome for her own sake. He fears for her safety should he allow their relationship to progress. The people he has loved all seem to have met unfortunate ends." 

Sango mentally chewed on this information for a few moments before she decided it would be prudent to resume this conversation at a later time, seeing as how Inuyasha was about to come into hearing-range of their voices. 

"In any case," Miroku said as he settled against Kirara once more, "there is little we can do about it beyond our customary refereeing, so I suggest you relax while you can. Inuyasha will want to get moving once they reach us, and if he's still in a foul temper, he'll set a hard pace." 

Sango nodded curtly. "Of course, Houshi-sama." 

"Oi! Bouzu! Wake your lazy ass up already!" 

"Inuyasha, be nice," Kagome reprimanded gently. 

"Very kind of you to join us," Miroku retorted. "Sango and I were merely filling the hours while awaiting your leisure." 

The hanyou jumped off Kagome's bike and glared down at the monk, who had yet to open his eyes. He sneered and growled. "Doing what? Since you aren't black and blue, I'd guess you forgot the requisite groping." 

The monk smirked. "Not entirely." His hand snaked out and cupped around Sango's thigh, uncomfortably close to her more private regions. 

Sango glared daggers and pinched the top of Miroku's hand, then stood and gave Inuyasha a sound slap. "For reminding him," she clarified before huffing and storming off to prepare Kirara for departure. 

"Ow!!! What the hell?!" 

Kagome bit her lip to keep from giggling. Seeing her friend's antics was a good way to lighten her heart. "You should know better, Miroku-sama." 

"I am but a man, Kagome-sama," he replied as he rose from his place in the grass. "With a man's urges." 

"Ah, but some monks are celibate, you know," she replied, grinning at him. 

His eyes widened in pure horror as he cried, "Kami forbid. I must continue my family line." 

Kagome and Sango both broke out into giggles. "Oh, don't worry Miroku-sama. It'll all work out." 

Inuyasha snorted and shoved the monk back onto the path. "Yeah, well it can work itself out in the next village. Let's go already!"


	8. Invitation

Disclaimer: Angelsfall and Superforeigner don't own Inuyasha. Alas, woe and stuff. 

Author's Note: SORRYSORRYSORRY! I know that this has taken so long to update, but sickness, school, travel, botchy internet connections, and every other real life problem that could possibly exist have caused this delay. To make up for it, you, the reader, get not one, not two, not three, but FOUR chapters in this update! Hoorah.

* * *

**Chapter:** Invitation

* * *

"Shippou! You little brat! Get back here!" Inuyasha sprinted after the kitsune, seemingly furious that the child had taken the last cookie from Kagome's time. 

"Can't catch me!" the fox shouted back, but as fate would have it, he tripped over a root and fell on his face. When Inuyasha grabbed him, the little youkai tucked the cookie safely away in his clothes and beat at the hanyou's hands.

It didn't take Kagome long to reach the scene of the crime. It wasn't the first time (and definitely not the last time) that Inuyasha and Shippou were at each other's throats. She sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Inuyasha! Put him down!"

Inuyasha shook the kit. "Not until he gives up! You little thief. Miroku's a bad influence!"

"You're one to talk!" Shippou snapped back. Inuyasha growled and whacked him on the head, eliciting the usual desperate cries. "Kagome!!! Inuyasha's being mean to me!" Then, without warning, Shippou bit Inuyasha's hand and sprinted away when the hanyou dropped him.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha shook his injured hand and darted off after the kitsune. "I'll pulverize you, little twerp!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded. "Don't make me say it!"

Predictably, he ignored her.

She warned him again. "Inuyasha! Leave Shippou alone! I'll say it!"

By now, he'd almost caught the kit and was screaming every threat he could think of.

"Inu_yasha_!!! SIT!"

"OW!!!"

Behind Kagome, old Kaede beheld the fallen hanyou and sighed. "Child, perhaps you are too harsh with Inuyasha. Shippou was in no real danger."

Kagome crossed her arms and tried to growl. "Well, I did warn him."

The elderly miko smiled. "That you did, but our hanyou friend was distracted at the time. Shippou provokes him, as is natural."

"What's this? Did I hear mention of Inuyasha being distracted?" Miroku walked up and smiled mischievously at Kagome. "I hardly thought you had it in you, Lady Kagome. Congratulations."

Kagome glared knives at Miroku, then at Inuyasha. "Miroku, get your mind out of the gutter." She crossed her arms and huffed.

The monk blinked, then turned to look in the same direction as Kagome. He sighed and leaned his head against his staff. "Oh. _That_ kind of distraction. Really, you should give the poor hanyou a break."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at Miroku. He was backing up Kaede now. Yes, maybe she sometimes overdid it with the subduing spell. But to her, it seemed that Inuyasha got what he deserved. When he beat on Shippou, when he tried to stand between her and the well... occasionally for lesser offenses like name-calling or his general belligerance. She didn't _enjoy_ sitting him. But, she felt that in a twisted sort of way, it was the only advantage that she held over him. If she couldn't show him that in some way she was stronger, she felt she might lose control of the situation entirely.

Seeing Kagome's look, the monk sighed. "What did he do this time?"

Feeling slightly deflated, Kagome uncrossed her arms and nodded towards Shippou. "He was trying to pound Shippou. Again." She paused for a moment. "I _did_ warn him."

"Did you warn Shippou?"

"What do you mean? I've told Shippou not to egg Inuyasha on like that."

Miroku glanced at the crater where Inuyasha was still sulking. Kaede smiled and sat down under a tree. "Yet he continues to do so," she observed. "Perhaps the trouble is not so much Inuyasha as a certain kitsune's instinct for mischief."

Kagome felt bad. She knew they were right. But what could she do? It was a vicious cycle. Inuyasha acted like an ass, Inuyasha got sat. What could she say to that? She sighed in defeat. "You're right."

Taking sympathy on the girl, Miroku patted her on the shoulder and said, "Perhaps you could do something special with Inuyasha. Just the two of you."

The young miko batted away his hand in surprise. "Miroku-sama!"

"His suggestion has merit," Kaede remarked.

"Well, it just sounds odd coming from _him_, is all."

The old woman chuckled. "I agree, but sometimes Miroku-sama is capable of appropriate behavior and startling insight."

The monk in question did his best to look offended.

"Oh, you're not fooling anyone, you know." Kagome looked down at the large Inuyasha-shaped hole in the ground and sighed again. "I suppose..."

"The new moon is tomorrow..." Miroku said.

Kagome considered this for a moment. She knew that Inuyasha hated the nights of the new moon because he felt weak and useless. But just because it was the new moon in the Sengoku Jidai didn't mean that it would be on the same night in modern Tokyo... She nodded. "You're right, Miroku-sama. I don't suppose I could talk to him for a moment?"

"Of course!" Miroku didn't move an inch. Kaede sighed again and rose before looping her arm through the monk's.

"Come, houshi. I believe she meant alone."

"Thank you, Kaede-baa-chan." Kagome bowed slightly to the elder woman and made her way to Inuyasha's prone form.

Still lying in his own personal crater, Inuyasha was muttering every curse he'd ever heard. He wasn't going to hurt the kid. He never did! Shippou was youkai. He could take a lot of punishment.

Kagome stood next to him and gently proded the hanyou with her toe. "Inuyasha... I'm sorry. Get up, won't you?"

"Why should I?" he muttered into the dirt.

Kagome groaned and sat down on the ground, then lay down on her belly next to the indentation in the dirt. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I shouldn't have sat you for that."

He raised his head and glared at her.

_Okay, no more beating around the bush._ "Inuyasha, I want to go home tomorrow."

He couldn't help it. He growled. "What the hell? You were just there!"

"Come with me! Tomorrow is the new moon."

Inuyasha twitched and flattened his ears. His head still hurt from its meeting with the earth. "Why would I want to come with you on a new moon?"

"It's only going to be a new moon _here_."

"Huh?"

"In Tokyo, it's only a waning crescent, probably. The lunar cycle isn't on the same day here as it is there. Think about it." Kagome smiled, pleased with her logic. She was beginning to like this idea more and more.

Inuyasha frowned. "That doesn't make sense."

"It's not a new moon in my time, Inuyasha! That means if you go back with me, then you don't have to become human! See?"

His ears perked up, and he finally pushed himself out of the crater to sit on his haunches. "You're not making this up?"

Kagome sat up to meet his eyes and smiled brightly at him. "Of course not. Why would I make up something like that? Anyway, if you did come back, my mother could make up some more cookies for you, if you'd like."

That was tempting. Missing his human night _and_ getting fresh-baked dessert. Inuyasha smirked and stood up. "All right, but only because I want to keep an eye on you."

"Oh come on, I can take care of myself in my own home, you know." Kagome stood up and punched his arm playfully. "Nothing in my time really feels inclined to eat me, you see."

"What about that possessed mask you had in your storage house?"

"It didn't want to eat me, just possess me." She winked at him. "Those are two entirely different things." Inuyasha sighed. "Keh. Whatever."

Kagome smiled victoriously. She knew she'd won the argument. "Since it's pretty late, we can stay tonight and go tomorrow morning."

"Okay." Inuyasha felt a little awkward. Kagome generally didn't invite him home with her. This invitation put a kink in his efforts to distance her as well, but the temptation was just too much--a month without turning human, and time in a place where, oddly enough, he seemed to be accepted.

"I'm going to head back to Kaede's hut and pack up my things." Kagome knew that Inuyasha would be ready to go in a moment's notice. He had nothing to bring along with him - no property save his father's fang and the clothes on his back. She sometimes wondered how freeing it would be to live that way.

Inuyasha nodded. "I want to have a look around the village before we go, make sure there aren't any youkai lurking in the area."

"Okay. I'll tell everyone that we're leaving tomorrow. Maybe they'll get some leads while we're away."

"Sure. Be back soon." With that, the hanyou disappeared into the trees.

_He's always worried about something,_ Kagome thought sadly. _I wonder what he would be like if he didn't have to worry about life so much...?_

* * *

Sango sat outside under the fading sunlight, calm and concentrated, meticulously rubbing oil into the surface of Hiraikotsu with an old rag. Kirara sat next to her grooming. Everything was quiet and peaceful, but that probably wouldn't last.

Beside her, Miroku was keeping his wandering hands busy with some ofudas. He didn't really need to check them over, but it kept him from getting brained just a little bit longer. "How long do you think Inuyasha will stay?" he asked idly.

Sango shrugged noncommitally. "Who knows. Probably not very long, though. You know how he hates to stay idle when there might be Shikon shards to be found."

"Ah, but he will be staying with Kagome-sama," he observed. "Why would he want to leave her fine company?"

Sango raised an eyebrow at the monk and shrugged again. "Yes, Houshi-sama, this is true. However, we both know that Inuyasha is trying not to form any romantic bonds with Kagome. How long can he avoid that sort of thing when he's in her time with her family?"

Her companion frowned and tucked the ofudas away in his robes. "True. I hope that the time away will help dissolve those barriers, but Inuyasha _is_ remarkably stubborn."

"_Remarkably_ stubborn, Houshi-sama." She nodded her agreement. "Perhaps her family will help wear him down."

"From what I hear, they are most ... influential."

"Indeed. And Kagome's mother makes excellent 'cookies.' I wish that we were able to pass through the well and meet them all." Sango turned the giant boomerang and began to polish the other side. Kirara trotted to Miroku's side, chirping at him and leaping onto his shoulder.

Miroku tilted his head and glanced curiously at Sango. He too had the occasional urge to meet Kagome's family and see her era, but he wondered if there were something more behind Sango's wish. With one hand he reached up to pet Kirara. The other he commanded to stay firmly on the ground. "I'm certain Kagome-sama feels the same."

Sango set aside Hiraikotsu and stretched, looking up to the sky. "Do you wonder what it's like, Houshi-sama? Kagome-chan has told me about some of the fascinating things in her time. I can hardly imagine what I'd do if I went there."

"Sometimes, but this era is where I belong. I would not wish to gain knowledge I should not have, were I to travel there."

"But don't we already have that sort of knowledge, since Kagome-chan is here? We know about things that are in the future, before they come to pass. Does that mean that we could change the future?" Sango frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. "It's perplexing."

He laughed, and rubbed Kirara's ears. "Not that kind of knowledge, Sango. I mean knowledge that may directly affect our decisions now."

"I see." She considered that for a moment. Kagome had spoken of the "space/time continuum" before, but it had all been so confusing to Sango. Their actions in the Sengoku Jidai caused the future as Kagome knew it. Sango certainly didn't want to change that with knowledge of how their story was to end. Any number of things could go wrong.

A breeze stirred Miroku's hair, and he shook it out of his eyes. "How do you suggest we fill the time until our friends return?"

"We could keep our ears open for Shikon rumors. We always want to be prepared." She nodded resolutely. "I don't suppose there's much else for us to do."

"Oh really?" That mischievous light was back in his eyes.

Sango's hand strayed to Hiraikotsu's strap as she narrowed her eyes. "Houshi-sama..."

"What?" He was innocent, really. Why did she always threaten him so?

The exterminator growled at him and crossed her arms. "I could help Kaede-sama with her garden."

Predictably, he smiled and indulged in a lovely daydream. "What a pleasant sight that will be."

Kirara quickly evacuated her spot on Miroku's shoulder as a balled up (and rather oily) rag collided with his head. "Hentai! Can't you keep your thoughts away from my bottom for more than ten minutes at a time?!"

The monk took the punishment patiently. He certainly could, but he didn't think Sango would like a truthful answer about what other parts of her body he thought about. He also didn't want to tell her that maybe his infatuation was with more than her womanly parts.

And of course, Sango would never admit to him that she didn't entirely mind his attentions, and that most of her reactions were purely for show. She just wasn't ready... She knew he was a good man and she cared about him a great deal, but the loss of her family was still a fresh pain in her heart. She didn't know how long it would be until she was ready to love again.

Completely unaware of Sango's own thoughts on the matter, Miroku handed her rag back to her, and grinned. "Now I must bathe, my lovely taijiya. You are welcome to join me if you like."

With only a few token mutterings of "hentai," Sango snatched the rag back and decided to go occupy herself with something else. "Good _evening_, Houshi-sama." That said, she was gone.

Miroku laughed, winked at Kirara, then headed for the nearest spring. He would enjoy his bath, even if his only company was an imagined demon slayer woman.


	9. Inuyasha's Big Day Out: Part One

Disclaimer: Angelsfall and Superforeigner only wished they owned Inuyasha. They'd be much richer if they did.

* * *

**Chapter Nine:** Inuyasha's Big Day Out: Part One

* * *

The door to the small well house opened slowly and Kagome peered out through the crack. She always liked to check and make sure no one was around before parading hatless Inuyasha around the temple grounds. He got enough strange looks for his clothing, hair, and eyes. The ears would be too much for people to overlook.

"Okay," she said, "the coast is clear. Come on!" Taking Inuyasha's hand, she more or less dragged him behind her all the way to her home, humming the _Mission Impossible_ theme as she did so.

Wrinkling his nose at the smell of Kagome's era, Inuyasha obediently followed the miko. To be honest, he was a little uneasy about missing the new moon. Would there be consequences to it? He changed for a reason, didn't he? Or would he change here anyway, without the moon, just because it was time?

Kagome mentally patted her back as she tugged Inuyasha through the courtyard. It seemed like the perfect setup. Inuyasha always hated becoming human because he felt weak and useless. Him coming to her home for his human night, or when it would normally occur in the Sengoku Jidai, would help him feel more confident and, possibly, more agreeable with his teammates.

Of course no one had counted on Inuyasha becoming restless over _missing_ his human night. He tried to relax. After all, this was Kagome's time. There were few demons to worry about, if any, and there was _lots_ of Ramen. Now there was a happy thought.

Opening the door to her home, Kagome slipped off her shoes and stepped inside. "I'm home!"

Mama Higurashi walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron, and smiled. "Welcome back, dear. I see your brought company." She bowed politely to Inuyasha. "Will you be staying for dinner?"

Inuyasha returned the bow, just slightly, but didn't quite know how to answer. "Uh, well..."

Kagome nodded. "He is, Mama. Is it okay if he stays the night, too? We could find somewhere for him to sleep, I'm sure."

"Of course." Her mother's smile widened. "Please make yourself at home, Inuyasha-kun."

Inuyasha bowed again. "Thank you, Higurashi-san." He had manners, after all.

Kagome bowed to her mother as well. "Thank you, Mama. Do you need any help in the kitchen?" She wanted to make sure that her mother wasn't expecting her to stay around the house and be helpful now that she was home, or if it'd be okay for her to take Inuyasha around the city a bit.

"No, I don't think so," the older woman replied, shaking her head. "Why don't you show your friend around? Be careful of Jii-chan, though. He's been muttering about sealing demons again."

"Oh, not that again." Kagome rolled her eyes at her grandfather's eccentricities. He was amusing, at least until he started telling stories about articles in the shrine giftshop in an attempt to get people to buy them. "We'll watch out for him. Anyway, his seals have never worked on Inuyasha before."

Her hanyou smirked and tucked his hands in his haori sleeves. "Maybe I should go find him some minor demons to practice on."

Mama Higurashi winced. "Best not to encourage him."

"Inuyasha! The only demon coming through that well is you, got it?" She made a fierce face at him, but then smiled. "Come on, help me find that hat that I gave you last time."

"Again?" He made a face. "Do I have to wear that thing?"

"I promise, Inuyasha, nobody else in all of Tokyo would miss those," she held her hands to the sides of her head, index fingers pointed upward to indicate Inuyasha's ears. "I could give you a bandana if you'd prefer that, though."

He flicked his ears. "Bandana?" he asked, trying the strange word. "What's that?"

"Come with me, I'll show you." She nodded to her mother and proceeded to lead Inuyasha up the stairs to her room. Digging around through one of her dresser drawers, she pulled out a large square piece of fabric. It was a convenient bright red color, and though Kagome didn't exactly like the white paisly pattern on it, the thing would have to do for now. "Here it is. It matches!"

Inuyasha eyed the material suspiciously. "I'm supposed to use this how?" He carefully fingered the cloth, trying to keep from snagging his claws in it.

Pulling the material from his hand, Kagome circled around behind him and tied the bandana around the top of his head, knotting it in back. Granted, now he looked a bit like he should be riding a motorcycle, but she figured that this was more comfortable than the hat. Unfortunately, the points of his ears could still be seen as oddly shaped lumps under the bandana. It was actually kind of cute.

The bandana moved as Inuyasha involuntarily flicked his ears back and forth. "It tickles," he complained.

"It's that or the hat. Pick which one you like best." Her tone was only slightly annoyed. Honestly, he could endure the pain of being impaled time after time with swords, spears, and claws (Kagome wondered at the fact that Inuyasha still had a digestive system after all that abuse), but would complain because a bandana tickled his ears. _What a big baby,_ she thought.

Grumbling to himself, the hanyou reached up and arranged the cloth to his liking. He flattened his ears and tucked the loose corners down before knotting them in place. He didn't like the way it muffled sound, but at least this way it wouldn't tickle and make him twitch like a sensitive dog. "Fine. This works."

"All righty then, let's go!" But before either of them had the chance to leave the room, someone else came barging in.

"Inuyasha no nii-chan!" Souta burst into the room, all smiles. It had been so long since Kagome had brought Inuyasha home with her. "Hey, cool! You look like a biker!"

"A what?" Inuyasha's confused expression would have been cute if his ears were visible, but as it was, he looked almost human.

"Er... A biker. Y'know... a guy with a motorcycle. And they ride around and get lots of piercings and tattoos and stuff!"

He frowned. "Why?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Souta, Inuyasha doesn't know what a motorcycle is. They don't have them five hundred years in the past."

Souta ignored her. "Why what?"

"Why do they do all of those things? Is it a ritual or something?"

Souta considered that for a minute. "No. They do it 'cause it's _cool!_"

Now Inuyasha was thoroughly lost. He looked to Kagome for help. "Huh?"

"There are people all over the world who ride motorcycles, which are like my bicycle that I ride on, but can go faster and you don't have to pedal them." She shrugged. "There are all sorts of different kinds. Some people race them, too."

"Riiight." Inuyasha decided that perhaps it was best to just pretend he understood them. To distract Souta from continuing with the subject he stared at the kid and asked, "So how ya doin'?"

"I'm great!" he exclaimed, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. "I'm glad you came to visit!"

The Higurashi's guest shurgged. "Didn't have anything better to do. Besides, why would I pass up free food?"

Kagome wanted to sigh loudly. Could her younger brother's case of hero worship get any more obvious? Could Inuyasha be any more insensitive? She didn't think so.

Inuyasha took pity on Kagome, and gave Souta what he hoped was a man-to-man smile. "Your sister's got some stuff she wants me to do, but maybe you can show me what guys do here when we get back."

Souta's eyes grew amusingly wide and he bobbed his head up and down. "That'd be awesome!" He gave Kagome a stern look before turning to leave. "No fights!"

Kagome gave a sigh of the eternally suffering. "Sure, Souta."

Beside her, Inuyasha smirked. "I'll make sure you remember you said that."

"He only said that to me because he practically worships the ground you walk on. Don't let it get to your head."

The smirk didn't fade.

She grabbed one of his forelocks and tugged on it, pulling him along with her. "Come on, then."

"Ow!" he protested as she dragged him. "Leggo!"

As the pair passed the kitchen, Mama Higurashi looked up and smiled. Kagome certainly did have that young demon of hers under control.

* * *

Kagome decided that maybe it would be a bad idea to take Inuyasha anywhere on a bus or subway. He was used to walking long distances anyway, so a little trip around Tokyo shouldn't be a problem. Or so she thought.

Meanwhile, the visitor from the Sengoku Jidai was mumbling agitatedly about his current footgear. To be honest, the sandals Kagome had pushed on him were as simple and comfortable as shoes get, but that still didn't make him happy. "Where are we going? Why do I have to wear these things?"

"Because, Inuyasha, you can't go inside buildings in the modern world without shoes. 'No shirt, no shoes, no service.' Besides, they're just little sandals. You've had worse inflicted on you with less complaint." She glanced at him irritably. He enjoyed making her life difficult, she was sure of it. The odd looks from people on the street weren't helping, either.

"Fine, but did you have to take Tessaiga, too?" That was the real reason behind his grumpiness. For one thing, he feared something might happen to Kagome, and he wouldn't be able to protect her. For another, he was afraid that he might transform and be the thing that hurt her.

"Inuyasha! The worst thing that's happened so far is that an old lady nearly tripped you up with her cane. Demons don't exist here anymore, and if they do, they're doing a pretty good job of hiding. So calm down, okay?" She crossed her arms and sniffed indignantly. Her oh-so-brilliant plan was going rapidly downhill. She imagined that it couldn't get any worse, even if her school friends, or even Hojo turned up. "We're almost there, anyhow. Buck up, we're supposed to be having fun today, remember?"

He grudgingly stopped complaining and mumbled, "All right, but you still haven't said where we're going."

She pointed to a large sign emblazoned with a large golden "W." "There it is," she said.

"There what is?"

"... Just go inside." She opened the door of the WacDonalds and ushered the reluctant Inuyasha inside. "This is a restaurant."

The smell hit him first. Grease, lots of it, and food. Even as Inuyasha wrinkled his nose, his stomach rumbled. "Like an inn? Or a tavern?"

"Um... no. It's just a restaurant, so they only serve food here." She looked around until she spotted an empty table. Indicating it, she shooed Inuyasha in it's direction. "Go sit over there and I'll get the food, okay?"

"O--OW!!!" Inuyasha desperately tried to keep calm as he slammed into the floor of the restaurant. He supposed she just kept using that word around him out of habit, right? Right. _Must ... keep ... composure ..._

Kagome gasped in horror as she realized what she'd done. "Inuyasha! Oh no, I'm so sorry!" She kneeled next to him and tried to help him up off of the floor, as well as assuage his wounded pride. "I didn't mean it, really!" She cringed inwardly as most everyone in the restaurant turned to look at them. _Must save face!_ she thought. Looking up to one of the staring employees behind the counter, she tried her best to appear disgruntled.

"You guys need to keep this floor cleaner! Someone could get hurt!" Helping Inuyasha to his feet, she showed him over to over to one of the tables.

Still a little out of sorts, Inuyasha followed Kagome and glared angrily at anyone who looked his way. Pretty soon, most of the restaurant was taking care to avoid looking at the hanyou.

"I'm really really sorry, Inuyasha," Kagome apologized sincerely and bit her lip. She hadn't meant to subdue him and worried that their day was going to be completely spoiled because of this incident.

"Keh. You think that hurt?"

"That's not the point. I made a mistake and I'm sorry about it, okay? Sheesh, Inuyasha, just forget it." She fisted her hands and placed them on her hips. "I'm going to go get the food now."

Inuyasha brightened at the mention of food. "Okay." His ears perked in anticipation, and before long he was toying impatiently with the napkin dispenser and other items on the table.

Unbeknownst to him (but knownst to us), Inuyasha wasn't alone. There were others in the haven of unhealthy food who were watching him carefully. Three pairs of eyes observed him, whispering among themselves.

Pretty soon, the hanyou had managed to get a claw or two stuck in inconvenient places, including between two splintered sections of the table. All the while he muttered and swore softly to himself, knowing that if he made a (bigger) scene Kagome could break his spine. Again.

Meanwhile, Kagome stood in line, bouncing on the balls of her feet while waiting for her turn to order. She too was blisfully unaware of the three people watching Inuyasha, or she might have had a heart attack standing in the line.

"Stupid table...Why can't these people fix their own damn furniture?" Inuyasha was sucking on his injured claw as he vented. He hadn't expected the table to put up as much of a fight as it had when he yanked his finger free.

When Kagome finally reached the front of the line, she ordered two burgers, plus fries and drinks. She considered getting Inuyasha one of the kiddie meals that came with the little toy, but somehow she doubted he'd appreciate the sentiment, even if he did like the toy. Within a few moments, she was back at the table with their food. "Dinner is served, Inuyasha!"

He sniffed at the food on the tray, and his stomach rumbled again, this time with approval. Some of the items smelled a lot like the treats and supplies Kagome usually brought to the Feudal Era. "What do you call this?" he asked, curious. He smelled bread and beef, some vegetables (a few of which he didn't recognize), and something else resembling the chips he was so fond of.

Kagome set the tray down on the table and slid into the seat across from Inuyasha. She listed the different items to him as she handed him his own food. "Sprite, which is caffeine free since you don't need any of that stuff because you're already high-strung as it is. French fries which aren't actually from France at all so the name is kind of pointless. And this," she handed him the larger of the two burgers, "is a double bacon cheeseburger. I had them take the vegetables out so you chould choose which ones you wanted. There are pickles, onions, tomatoes, and lettuce."

Inuyasha prodded at the items on the side, and lifted the tomato slice on one claw to get a good sniff at it. He shrugged, and piled all of the vegetables on the burger. "Smells good," he remarked.

The girl smiled at him and allowed herself to watch him as he assembled and began to devour his served up side of cow. She knew that he was a great deal like a dog while eating; completely absorbed in the task and extremely irritable if disturbed.

Within a few minutes, he'd finished off the cheeseburger and started in on the fries. He was obviously enjoying himself, but just as he was about to take his first bite of grease and potato, he paused. "Aren't you going to eat, Kagome?"

She snapped out of her reverie in slight surprise. She hadn't noticed that he'd been observing her as well. "Well sure. I'm just waiting for it to cool down." She unwrapped her burger and nodded. "It's good now."

"Huh." He supposed it made sense. After all, she was just a human girl, even if she could shoot purifying arrows and detect Shikon shards. He set back in on his food. Perhaps unknowingly, Kagome had just given him a good reason to behave the rest of the day. He wanted to come back to this place later!

Kagome cut her burger in half and picked up one of the sides, enjoying the modern food which had become a delicacy to her. After all, it was pretty hard to find hamburgers in the Sengoku Jidai. That's when she saw them watching her.

Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka, sitting across the restaurant, quite suddenly engrossed in their own conversation to cover the fact that they'd been staring at Kagome and Inuyasha only a split second before. Kagome nearly choked on her food.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked around a moutful of food. He swallowed and stared at her, eyes widened in concern. "What's wrong?"

"They're here!" she ground out in a harsh whisper. "My friends from school. Three of the biggest busy-bodies in all of Japan. Oh Kami, I'm doomed."

"Why?" Being a boy, and one from the Feudal Era at that, Inuyasha was dumbfounded.

"They see you!"

He frowned. "So?" Wasn't that why he was wearing the bandana?

"Nevermind. Let's just finish quickly and get out of here." She wanted to crawl under a rock and die. She would never hear the end of this from her friends. This was Bad News. She was Doomed. Hopefully her friends were too dull to associate the image of Inuyasha with the "violent, two-timing boy" that she'd described to them in the past. ... No, no, she was pretty sure that she was Doomed.

Still confused, Inuyasha did as ordered. He didn't bother to look at the girls Kagome had mentioned, but he had the strangest sensation of something crawling up his back, as if he could actually feel their stares.

Kagome didn't even bother to eat her fries. As soon as her burger was finished, she quickly collected her purse. "Come on, before they decide to come and talk to us." There was a tone of urgency in her voice. She really didn't want to deal with them today.

By now, the feeling of their stares on his back was driving Inuyasha a little crazy. He hurried after Kagome, wondering just what it was that made her friends so scary.

"Don't make eye contact. They can smell fear." With a few brisk steps they were standing outside. Kagome heaved a sigh of relief.

"Are they demons?" he asked curiously. "Is that why they can smell fear? They didn't seem like demons."

"They're not demons, it's a figure of speech." She wanted to laugh, though. She loved them dearly, but sometimes her friends did seem a bit demonic. She grasped Inuyasha's hand and pulled him along behind her. She didn't want him getting lost, after all.

"Feh." Women were strange.

"Feh!" She grinned at him and pointed to a large building up ahead of them. "The library is just up over there. Now, there are some rules that you have to follow when we get in there."

His ears pressed harder against his head beneath the bandana. Eyes narrowed, he stared at the building and asked, "What kind of rules?"

"Don't break anything. And you have to be quiet, so no yelling or screaming or anything."

Inuyasha didn't see why he would have a reason to yell or scream unless Kagome gave him one, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

She nodded her head. "You'll like the library, I think. It's full of books and music and things."

_Books, huh? Why would she think I like books?_ Not that he didn't. He loved them. He just didn't feel the need to tell her that.

"Higurashi!"

"Oh no..." Kagome wanted, once again, to find that rock she'd dreamed of earlier and die underneath it. She turned and saw Hojo jogging briskly towards her. "Hojo-kun! How... unexpected!"

Inuyasha growled under his breath.

"I know!" the clueless schoolboy exclaimed. "Your grandfather said you were ill!"

"Oh... it comes and goes." She laughed nervously. "We were just on our way to the library..."

"Oh? I'm sorry. Have we met before?"

The hanyou ground his teeth.

Stepping between them, Kagome put her hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Hojo-kun, this is my friend Inuyasha-kun. Inuyasha, this is Hojo-kun."

"Hi," Inuyasha ground out. By now, his arms were crossed tightly over his chest, and he didn't bother to bow.

"It's nice to meet you, Inuyasha-kun!" Hojo, ever the polite one, did bow. "What an unusual name!"

"Inuyasha is... from my physical therapy group. Isn't that right, Inuyasha?"

"Your what?" he growled.

"Well anyway, it was nice to see you, Hojo-kun!" Kagome desperately wanted to flee. She hoped that Hojo would take a hint and allow her to escape with some modicum of her tattered dignity left.

Of course, she had no such luck. "Actually, I'm going to the library too, Higurashi. Maybe I could help you catch up on your studies."

Inuyasha's teeth ground audibly together.

_There goes my day._ "No no no, that isn't necessary, really! I wouldn't want to impose!"

"It's not a problem, really!" Hojo smiled his bright, sometimes airheaded smile.

At this point, Inuyasha finally chose to interrupt. "We're here for a group... thing," he lied, hoping it was believable. "We're not allowed to accept outside help."

"Yes!" Kagome exclaimed, maybe with a bit more enthusiasm than was necessary. "Yes, that's right. We couldn't ask for your help, it would be wrong." She nodded concisely.

Hojo's smile didn't fail. "All right, then. Maybe I'll see you around. Nice to meet you, Inuyasha-kun!"

"Whatever," the hanyou mumbled as soon as the boy was out of earshot. Feeling suddenly possessive, he took Kagome's arm and led her up the stairs.

Kagome waved and had to resist making a shooing motion with her hands. Being rather abruptly grabbed by Inuyasha put an end to that, though. "Eep! Inuyasha!"

"What?"

"You just startled me. It's nothing. But you should have been nicer to Hojo-kun." She tutted at him and shook her finger. "He's not a bad guy. Just not that bright."

"I don't like him." Not that he'd admit, even to himself, the reason why he didn't like Hojo.

"Don't be so childish, Inuyasha! Hojo-kun has always been very nice to me. What reason do you have not to like him?" They were paused at the top of the stairs that led up to the library, since she didn't want to speak with raised voices once inside the building, and had a feeling that Inuyasha might just test her patience.

"Because." He let go of her and crossed his arms again. "He bugs me, okay?!"

Kagome was fully prepared to stomp and yell that his was a pretty dumb reason not to like someone, though she'd used it before on some occasions. She didn't want the day to be spoiled any more than it had already been, so she took a few deep, cleansing breaths. "Okay, okay. Fine. Let's not argue about it, okay?" After all, since one of the two of them had to be mature, it might as well be her.

Inuyasha gave her a strange look, but finally uncrossed his arms and nodded. He'd expected her to make it a shouting match between him.

Feeling pretty pleased with herself, Kagome opened the library door and ushered Inuyasha inside, holding her index finger to her lip to remind him that it was important to be silent. "Follow me," she said in a quiet voice.

As they moved through the building, Inuyasha looked around at the shelves and tables. He was startled by the number of books, and found himself curious about their contents. It made him a little uneasy. He hadn't really paid much attention to books or learning since his mother had died.

Kagome guided him noiselessly through the maze of tall stacks. She paused for a moment to consider where it would be best to start, and decided on a section about world travel. It would be nice for him to see things that lay outside of Japan, especially in the modern world. She started out once again, having to turn back briefly and pull Inuyasha along, since he was gawking at the huge number of books.

"How much does this cost?" he asked. "They just let anyone in?"

"It's free," she replied. "Libraries are for learning and reading and things. Anyone can come in, but you have to have a library card to check out the books." She selected a few off of one of the stack shelves and then found an unoccupied table for them to sit at.

"Then how do they make the money to buy the books?"

"Some people donate books and money to them. Also, there's only a certain amount of time that you can keep the books. If you keep them too long, you have to pay a late fee." Kagome opened one of the books, a large volume about Africa which was also full of colorful pictures.

Inuyasha had more questions, but he was easily distracted from them by the pictures Kagome had just revealed. The book reminded him a little of the ones she used to study, but he'd never seen animals like that.

"It would be nice to go to Africa someday and see the lions and elephants up close." She pushed the book closer to him, subtly inviting him to pick it up and turn the pages.

He took the book carefully and turned the pages. The glare of the light on the pictures sometimes made it difficult to see. "Are these demons from somewhere else?"

"They're not demons, just big animals. A lot of them are like animals that live close to Japan. Lions are like tigers, but without the stripes. And there are elephants in India, but they're smaller." She smiled as she indicated the different animals on the glossy pages. "Everything is really exotic over there."

Inuyasha nodded and stared at a picture of a zebra. "That's the ugliest horse I've ever seen."

"It's a zebra. They live in huge herds. Their stripes protect them because when they're all bunched together, it's hard for predators to pick out individuals."

Camouflage was something Inuyasha was familiar with, so Kagome's explanation satisfied him. He moved on to another page, and frowned at the text. "This doesn't look right."

"Those letters aren't Japanese. They're romanized so that people in other countries can read them too." She found another book written with hiragana and kanji text on the front and handed it to him. That one in particular was a book on marine mammals, which she was pretty sure he'd never seen before.

"Oh." The other book made more sense, and he flipped slowly through the pages, careful not to tear them with his claws. He didn't want to get shouted at for harming some stranger's possession. He pointed at one of the pictures. "These don't look like any dolphins I've ever seen." Of course they wouldn't. Inuyasha had never been to the sea, and only knew what the decorative dolphins on palaces and shrines looked like.

Kagome scooted closer to get a better look at the images on the page. "Well, those are photographs and not paintings. These are spinner dolphins. I think they're cute."

"Cute?" Inuyasha made a face.

"They are! They jump out of the water and spin through the air and make little squeaky clicking noises. Everyone loves dolphins."

Now he was looking at her like she was crazy.

"You're no fun." She picked up another book from the pile and began to read it.

What? He was too fun! Wasn't he? He was pretty sure that sometimes he made her laugh, and smile, and joke. Suddenly in a huff, and not sure why (he really was thickheaded when it came to his feelings towards women), the hanyou buried his nose in the book she had given him.


	10. Inuyasha's Big Day Out: Part Two

Disclaimer: Blah blah Angelsfall blah Superforeigner blah blah don't own Inuyasha blah. Blah blah blah don't sue blah.

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**Chapter Ten:** Inuyasha's Big Day Out: Part Two

* * *

About two hours and many, many books later, Kagome decided that Inuyasha's brain might explode of he was exposed to any more knowledge that day.

And of course, she'd hate having to explain that to her friends in the past. "Inuyasha's head exploded because he read too many books." It was just too far fetched.

Inuyasha's brain agreed with Kagome. He wasn't as stupid as he allowed people to think, but he wasn't used to having time for learning things not directly related to survival, either. When Kagome started putting the books away, the hanyou had to will himself not to sigh with relief. His eyes hurt and he was starting to get a headache.

When the duo was safely standing in the warm, crowded Tokyo streets, Kagome began their conversation again. "What did you think of the library, Inuyasha?"

"It's ... big." His vocabulary had taken a beating in the past few hours.

"It is big," she agreed. Stating the fact that it had lots of books in it too would probably have been rubbing salt in his wounds. "Did you like it?"

After a few moments' consideration, Inuyasha nodded. "Does it have books on things other than animals? Like battle techniques?"

"Well sure. It has books on pretty much everything. You should have said something if you'd wanted to see other books."

"Oh." He tucked his hands in his sleeves and tilted his head so he could get a better look at Kagome. "Maybe next time."

Her smile was immediate and bright. Maybe next time meant that there would _be_ a next time, which meant that he wasn't permanently scarred from overexposure to too much learning. She was very pleased with herself.

"Where are we going now?"

"We could get smoothies or a milkshake if you want." She checked her watch. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon. Still plenty of time for sight-seeing.

The hanyou looked perplexed. "Smoothies?"

Kagome nodded and took his hand yet again. "Yeah," she said as they walked. "They're cold drinks made with fruit and ice blended together. I'll get one for you." The smoothie stand was easy to see, as the interior was painted in a rainbow of colors and the boy at the cash register wore a tie-dye shirt.

As they neared the stand, Inuyasha automatically wrinkled his nose. He detected the pungent odor of raw seafood. "That doesn't smell like fruit."

"That's because there's a sushi stand next to the smoothie stand. They sell squid too." Kagome ordered a strawberry-banana smoothie, and another one with pineapple and berries. She leaned against the stand to wait for them to be made. "The blender is really loud, Inuyasha. Might wanna cover your ears."

"Hah. Hah." Beneath the bandana, said ears twitched.

She made a face at him. "No, I'm serious." Then tie-dye boy turned the blender on.

"Chikuso!" Inuyasha's hands flew to his ears, covering the quivering triangles to protect them from the noise. He hopped back a step, and resisted the urge to tear the blender apart.

Kagome wanted to grin smugly and say, "I told you so," but Inuyasha wouldn't have heard her anyway. But she did hear someone calling her name.

"Kagome-chan, Kagome-chan!" Her heart froze. Not them again. Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka quickly closed in on her and Inuyasha, effectively cutting off their escape routes. "Kagome-chan, we haven't seen you in so long!" exclaimed Eri.

"We were worried that you'd suffered side effects from your liver problems," Ayumi chimed in.

"Liver? I thought it was mono..." added Yuka.

"Mono?!" Kagome choked out.

"I thought she was in physical therapy." Predictably, Hojo had been dragged along by the three girls bouncing around Kagome. He glanced at Inuyasha and frowned. "Something wrong, Inuyasha-kun?"

The hanyou couldn't really hear what Hojo had said, but he was certain he didn't like it. Yet again he ground his teeth together as he growled. It would be a miracle if he still had his fangs when he got back to the Sengoku Jidai.

"Inuyasha?" one of the girls asked. "Hey Kagome, isn't this the violent two-timing jerk that you told us about?" The three swarmed around him and began examining him.

"N-no! I... I don't recall ever using those words, exactly..." Kagome was hoping that her face wouldn't turn red at the sudden onslaught. Suddenly, the blender was switched off and two large smoothie cups were held out to her. Now Inuyasha would actually be able to _hear_ what her friends were saying.

Thank Kami for the end of the noise. Inuyasha had been afraid his ears would explode. He lowered his hands and glared around at the three girls, reserving most of his hostility for Hojo when he finally got to the boy. Feeling protective towards Kagome, the hanyou pushed between Hojo and one of the girls to stand beside his miko.

"Violent two-timing jerk?" Hojo asked innocently.

Where was that rock when you needed it? Kagome stuffed the strawberry-banana smoothie into Inuyasha's hands in the hopes that it would distract him. "I never said that!" she ground out in a strained voice to her friends. She could feel her cheeks heating up as they spoke.

Hojo smiled broadly. "I can't imagine you would!" He turned to her friends. "Kagome would never say such a thing about anyone."

The three girls turned to explain the situation to Hojo. Eri was the first to speak out. "Kagome told us that some guy was double-timing her for his old girlfriend. He sounds like he needs some prozac, if you ask me."

Kagome, on the other hand, had rather subversively begun to drag Inuyasha away in the opposite direction down the sidewalk.

"Hey! What're they talking about?!" Inuyasha hissed in her ear. "Let go of me, wench!"

Meanwhile, Hojo was doing his best to talk himself and the girls out of Kagome having a violent, two-timing boyfriend. "I'm certain you heard wrong."

"No, we must escape! Escape!" She continued to pull him away from her four friends. She had a manic (or panicked) look in her eyes.

It only took a glance at the girls and the way they had surrounded poor Hojo to help Inuyasha make up his mind. She was right. Those kids were demons. "Let's go." He grabbed her elbow and dragged her after him until pulled her deep into the nearby park.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. This was much better. No gossipy school friends or dense would-be suitors chasing the two of them around here. She relaxed her pace and looked around the area. It'd been a long time since she'd been to the little park, but then again, she saw much more scenic views on a regular basis. After all, they hadn't invented high-rise buildings or skyscrapers five hundred years in the past.

Her escort looked around, and seeing no people nearby, reached for his bandana. "Can I take this thing off?" he groused. His ears were getting sore.

"Sure. I don't think anyone will find us out here." Sitting in between the roots of a large tree, she relaxed against the trunk and began to sip on her smoothie.

Kagome smiled as she watched Inuyasha treat his poor ears. Those two little bits of skin and fur were one of the first things that had drawn her to him to begin with, and she still loved them. She began to lift her hand to rub the base of the ear closest to her, but then thought better of it. Inuyasha wouldn't like to be treated like a lap dog.

Once he was satisfied that his ears still worked, Inuyasha plopped down beside Kagome, legs crossed, and poked at the lid and straw of his smoothie.

"Don't drink too fast or you'll get brain freeze." She took another sip of her drink and stared up into the branches of the old tree.

He watched her for a moment, and then sipped through the straw. Yet again his eyes widened in surprise. The drink was good. He leaned back against the tree and did his best to block out the smells and sounds of the modern era that still reached him here. At least he had the illusion of being in the forest.

"You like it?" she questioned with a smile.

"Yeah." So he had a sweet tooth. Why'd she have to look at him that way just because he was eating her world's food and drinking her world's drink?

"I'm glad." She set her drink aside and folded her hands in her lap. She wished that she could always be this way with him. Safe and relaxed, no pressure or worry.

"Is this what you people do all day?" he asked on an impulse. If it was, then he could see why she was always so anxious to come home.

"No, not everyone. Some people can afford to do nothing all day, but most people have jobs or school that they have to go to. Not that they want to, but it's a societal obligation." Running her fingers through her hair, she turned in her spot to look at him. "When people become old, most of them have enough money saved up to be able to quit their jobs and live off their savings. But most everyone has to work."

"At what? You don't have any farms."

"We do, just not in the city. We've created so many new technologies, not everyone needs to work on farms anymore. Some people are lawyers and doctors and scientiest, or marine biologists or things like that."

He shook his head and finished his drink. "Feh." What he really wanted was a good run and some time up in the trees. He checked to see if Kagome had finished her own smoothie, and suddenly stood and pulled her onto his back.

Her eyes went wide in surprise. "What are you doing?!"

"Going for a run." Before she could do anything about it, he jumped into the tree they'd been sitting against and set off.

"Someone will see us! This is going to end up in the tabloids, I just know it!" But despite her protests, Kagome actually enjoyed riding on Inuyasha's back. She buried her face in his wild mop of hair, as if by not seeing everyone else, they wouldn't see her either.

"Relax! It's not like anyone can get a good look when we're going this fast. I'll stay in the trees if it makes you feel any better."

She shook her head, inadvertently tickling her nose with his hair. "It doesn't matter, just be careful!"

_When am I ever not careful with you?_ he thought to himself. Inuyasha was proud of his ability to keep Kagome safe. It was an area in which he excelled.

It wasn't herself that she was worried about, though. Kagome wanted, in a way, to shelter Inuyasha from the eyes of the modern world. He was a being that certainly didn't belong on the ground between the towering buildings. He was almost unearthly, especially compared to the bland and mundane people who milled about on the pavement which was now far below them. She finally relaxed against his back and smiled. She knew he'd never let her fall.

When Inuyasha had finished his run through the park, he concealed his ears again and walked Kagome home. He needed a little time to unwind, and the Higurashi Shrine was the one place in modern Tokyo where he could be completely at ease.

"Tadaima!" Kagome called out as they entered her house.

Jii-chan was standing just inside the door when they returned. "Ahh, Kagome. You brought that demon of yours?" He patted his priest's robes as though searching for something. "I thought I had my seals around here somewhere..."

"Jii-chan! How many times do I have to tell you that Inuyasha isn't a bad demon? Leave him alone." She crossed her arms and made a sour face at her grandfather. He sure had picked a bad time to go senile.

"Nonsense, girl. Demons are dangerous, especially..." The old man put himself almost nose-to-chest with Inuyasha and squinted up at the hanyou's face. "Eh. What kind of demon is he, anyway?"

"Dog, Jii-chan." Kagome massaged her forehead. "Isn't there someone in the gift shop who needs your help or something?"

"No, no. Just a few of our regular patrons making the usual offerings." Apparently satisfied with his inspection of Inuyasha, he stepped back and ambled towards the kitchen. "And time for this old man's tea."

Throughout the incident, Inuyasha had done his best to stand calmly and ignore the way the old man stared. He didn't like it when people focused on him like that, but he also knew that Kagome's family was important to her, so he didn't snap at her grandfather--this time. He was also secretly grateful that she hadn't made a point of telling her grandfather he was a hanyou, and a little surprised the old man apparently hadn't noticed.

Kagome was beginning to desperately want a nap. As much as she'd enjoyed her time out with Inuyasha, it had been pretty stressful. When her grandfather was finally inside the house, she tried to decide what to do. "So, Inuyasha, what do you want to do now?"

"Uh, well, I did promise Souta that I'd spend some time with him." He rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed making the admission.

"He would like that. He really looks up to you." She grinned and made her way to the couch, flopping on it ungracefully.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I don't want to get in the way of your man-to-man time," she said with a grin, "so I think I might take a nap."

"Feh." Inuyasha pretended to be offended by the idea of naps, but he secretly wondered if he could sneak back in later. He liked to watch Kagome sleep. "Try not to fall off and hurt yourself," he said, before he headed off to find Souta.

"I'm not _that_ accident prone! Honestly!" She huffed indignantly in his direction, but it didn't bother her. She knew he liked to tease her. She yawned and curled up in a particularly nice sunbeam that was focused on the couch, and was asleep within a few minutes.

Having not found Souta immediately, Inuyasha snuck back into the living room, and when he saw that Kagome had finally drifted off, he watched her for a moment. He resisted the urge to take up watch at the end of the couch, or cover her with his haori to protect her while he was gone. After all, this was her house. He smiled a bit, then went outside to track her brother down before he came tearing into the house and woke her up.

* * *

"That's impossible! No human could ever do that!" Inuyasha protested around a mouthfull of popcorn. He'd discovered that the fluffy, salty treat was addictive, even if it didn't fill his belly very effectively. That was fine, though, because the people on the television held the bulk of his attention.

"You don't understand, Inuyasha, that man is _Jackie Chan_! He can do whatever he wants!" Kagome stole a handfull of popcorn and began to eat the pieces one at a time. "And anyway, this is a movie. Which means that it doesn't have to be realistic or even plausible so long as it's entertaining."

"You're sure he's not a demon?" the hanyou asked for the dozenth time.

"Inuyasha! I am sure that he is not a demon! He is Jackie Chan from China. He makes films in Hollywood. He is not a demon."

"Well he could be!"

"Does he look like a demon to you?"

Inuyasha actually pouted. "No."

"He's almost died a few times from falling out of buildings and things. You're tougher than he is." She smiled up at Inuyasha and winked. "I bet you could do you're own stunts too."

"Stunts? Keh! They're not stunts." Everything Inuyasha could do was important to his survival. "Why does he do that stuff if it almost kills him?"

"Because he makes insane amounts of money and is admired by people around the world." Kagome absentmindedly flicked bits of popcorn at his head.

Inuyasha picked the kernels out of his hair and popped them in his mouth, then snorted at the intricate battle sequence currently being played out.

Kagome had seen the film a few times before, but the gags still amused her. "Are you enjoying the film?"

He shrugged, and stared at the television in silence for a little while. After another moutful of popcorn, he replied, "Yeah."

Well, it wasn't a very heartfelt response but it would have to do. Kagome eyed him for a moment before taking a breath, throwing caution to the wind, and scooting closer to him on the couch. She covered the action as a grab for the popcorn bowl, though.

To be honest, he liked the movie more than he would admit. He'd always been fascinated with the television, and seeing modern people fighting, even if it was just play-fighting, was interesting. That made it easy to pretend he didn't notice Kagome scooting closer under the pretense of taking the popcorn from him. He even pretended that he didn't want to relinquish the food to her.

Kagome also pretended to be cross with Inuyasha when he made it difficult for her to steal the popcorn from his grasp. But she wasn't actually upset about it. She could feel the warmth radiating from his body. He always seemed to be eminating heat. Just to prove a point, she reached for the popcorn again after a minute or so had passed.

"Hey," he protested halfheartedly, but he actually slid the popcorn over to her.

Victorious, Kagome snatched the bowl and popped a few pieces into her mouth. That had been easier than she'd expected.

As the movie continued, Inuyasha found himself liking Kagome's nearness. It left him a little confused, just as watching her sleep sometimes did. He wasn't certain how to react. After all, the last time he'd felt this way around anyone had been with Kikyou, and wouldn't reacting the same way be a betrayal?

The movie was about half an hour from being over, and Kagome found herself wishing that it wouldn't end. The end of the film would mean that the lights would have to come back on and that this peaceful moment with Inuyasha would come to and end, possibly never to be revisited. But that's how life seemed to go for her, she supposed. Every peaceful and quiet moment interrupted by nosy friends or film endings or Shikon shards.

Inuyasha sighed in contentment, and stretched to relieve the stiffness in his arms. He settled them on the back of the couch, then fought down a blush when he realized he was one step away from embracing the girl beside him.

She did blush, though. Fortunately for her, it was too dark for him to see it. At least she hoped it was. Or maybe he was color blind? Which might explain the bright red haori and hakama, but that was beside the point. His arm was nearly around her back. The old stretch-and-hug move. She wondered if he'd done it on purpose. Knowing him, probably not. But that didn't mean that she couldn't!

Kagome gave a small yawn and stretch, then rested her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. There, that was just perfect.

Almost automatically, the hanyou put his arm around her shoulders. A little smile came to his lips. This felt right. He'd worry about betraying his duty to Kikyou later.

Suddenly, the movie didn't seem to matter that much any more. Kagome was content, warm, and safe in Inuyasha's arms (or arm, as it were). She yawned again and slowly drifted into an easy sleep.

Inuyasha managed to stay awake for the remainder of the film, but without Kagome to explain the American humor to him, the end seemed to drag. By the time the credits had finsihed rolling, he was sound asleep with his head resting atop hers.

Mama Higurashi found them a few minutes later. She almost stepped into the living room to wake them so Kagome could go up to her bed, but something stopped her. Was this what it was like for her daughter in the Feudal Era? Sleeping far from home, with a dog-eared boy nearby to keep her safe and warm? It was an odd picture, certainly not what she had envisioned for her eldest child, but it wasn't a bad thing. Inuyasha shifted, and Mama Higurashi caught the gleam of golden eyes in the dark. She smiled at him, then returned to her own room upstairs.


	11. Midnight Musings, Dusty Memories

Disclaimer: Angelsfall and Superforeigner only wished they owned Inuyasha. They'd be much richer if they did.

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**Chapter Eleven:** Midnight Musings and Dusty Memories

* * *

Sometime after midnight, Inuyasha stirred, then started awake when he realized something was weighing down his legs. Blinking in the darkness, he slowly remembered where he was: at Kagome's home, on her couch, with said girl at his side. Or rather, sleeping in his lap. Once his eyes had adjusted to the dark, Inuyasha sat watching the young miko. He was grateful to her for the night away from the new moon in his own era, but doubts had begun to surface. Dreams about what might happen because of it had broken his peaceful slumber. 

Kagome's mouth hung slightly ajar as she slept, breathing the steady breaths of a deep sleep. When Inuyasha moved, she murmured something which sounded a good deal like Inuyasha's slurred name and nuzzled into the hanyou's chest.

It would be nice if just once Inuyasha could do something without worrying. It would be nice if being a hanyou came without negative consequences. Hell, it would be nice if Inuyasha had solid answers to his questions. He sighed as Kagome snuggled against him, and suddenly felt as though he should be pushing her away. What if this wasn't such a good idea? What if he should go back to the Sengoku Jidai? How would that work, with the night half over?

With a soft snort sound, Kagome woke and blearily blinked her eyes. She lifted her head from Inuyasha's chest and scanned the room. "What time is it?" Her voice was thick and her words came out more like "whatimezit?" but that didn't stop her from rubbing her eyes and glancing around for a clock. When she did find one, she stared at it for a moment before yawning and placing her head back against Inuyasha's chest. She was asleep as quickly as she'd woken up.

Damn it. Sitting with Kagome across his thighs made it almost impossible for Inuyasha to think. He looked down at her, almost apologetically, then carefully slipped his arms under her. When she didn't wake, he lifted her with him as he stood, then turned and laid her back down on the couch. It seemed a little cold, he supposed, so he slipped out of his haori and draped it over Kagome's shoulders. He'd be back soon, but he needed some time to think, and he did his best thinking outside.

The hanyou's footsteps carried him towards the Goshinboku, and he hopped the short fence that surrounded the tree in this time. Once he was settled between the ancient roots, he leaned his head back against the tree's thick bark and closed his eyes. He'd never spent a month without turning human, before. Even as a small child, he'd endured the change. Could he do this every month? Somehow, he didn't think so. There had to be a reason behind the changes. What would missing one mean?

Now he was starting to miss Myouga. Myouga! Of all creatures. If Inuyasha could find the flea when he returned home, maybe he'd ask the old demon his questions. Not that Myouga would actually give him any useful answers. Sometimes he couldn't believe that he'd been stuck with such a pain in the ass retainer. Hell, sometimes he thought even _Jaken_ would be better.

Inside the house, unaware of Inuyasha's musings, Kagome once again woke with a start. Staring straight up, she wondered for a moment where she was. There were no crickets chirping, or branches creaking above her. There was no smokey smell from a fire that had burned out hours before. It was her house. Why had she expected anything else? She looked around the room until she found a clock to check the time. It was nearly two in the morning.

She stifled a yawn with her hand, pulling the covers around her. Except this wasn't her bed or her covers. She was on her living room couch, with Inuyasha's haori wrapped around her. Pulling the material up to her nose, she inhaled deeply, wishing not for the first time that her sense of smell was as keen as that of the hanyou that the jacket belonged to. The material was tightly woven and thick, made from fine threads of fire rat fur. Her sleep-adled mind briefly wondered exactly what a fire rat looked like, and she giggled at the image of a large flaming rodent.

She took another deep breath of the scent that she'd smelled so many times before. Deep forest trees, river water, wind, and the essence of doggy smell that made Inuyasha what he was. She rose from the couch and slipped her arms into the billowy sleeves, yawning once more before trudging out into the yard to find the owner of the fire red haori.

By now, Inuyasha had fallen into a light doze, his mind occupied with visions of what might happen, and he frowned in his sleep.

Though Kagome had expected to find him high in the branches of the Goshinboku, she was pleased to see him within her reach on the ground. Carefully stepping over the low fence, she removed his haori and placed it over his shoulders.

Inuyasha jerked awake, the haori falling to the ground, his ears flattened. It took a moment for his brain to clear again, and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Did I wake you?"

"No," she said as she sat next to him. "I just woke up and thought you might want this back." She indicated the haori.

"Oh." He scooped the garment up, then wrapped it around her shoulders while doing his best to avoid her gaze. "You need it more than me. It's a little cold out."

It wasn't really that cold. She smiled at him and accepted the haori back from him, feeling warmed more by the fact that he was going out of his way to look out for her than by the body heat that the haori held in. "Is there something the matter?"

He shrugged. "Just needed to think."

"You can tell me if something's wrong, you know." She frowned. "Did you not have a good time today?"

"That's not it," he hastened to assure her. "It was a good day. A really good day. I just needed to sort a few things out."

Kagome decided not to press the matter. She cupped her hand over her mouth and yawned, standing as she did so. She handed Inuyasha his haori once again. "I need to brush my teeth. I'm going to go to bed, okay? I'll see you in the morning."

He nodded. "All right. I think I'll stay out here, with Goshinboku."

She smiled softly at him. "I think Goshinboku enjoys your company. As much as a tree can enjoy anything, anyway." She chuckled lightly at her own joke. "Goodnight, Inuyasha."

"Feh." Inuyasha leapt into the lower branches of the old tree. He waited until Kagome had returned to the house before softly whispering, "Goodnight, Kagome."

* * *

A beam of warm morning light peeked through the window of Kagome's room, moving slowly across the floor until it shone into her eyes. She stretched and yawned scrubbed her face with her hands. She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of her bed, stretching her limbs once more before walking to the window and opening it. 

Inuyasha was still asleep at the base of Goshinboku, an unusual occurance for him since he tended to be up before dawn. It seemed as though he was sleeping peacefully.

Kagome wished she had a camera with her to capture the image of Inuyasha sleeping under the tree. He looked so content, almost innocent. She made her way outside in her blue checked pajamas and stood outside the fence for a moment, watching him sleep. It made her smile to think that he could be so relaxed in an era so far removed from his own.

One ear twitched atop Inuyasha's head. He'd heard Kagome exit the house, and by the time she reached the tree, he was awake. He kept his eyes closed and muscles relaxed, though. He honestly wasn't quite ready to be up and about.

Turning quickly, Kagome hurried into her house and found a light quilt. Satisfied that her mother wouldn't chew her ear off for using that specific blanket, Kagome took it outside with her and carefully tucked it around the dog-eared boy. With that done, she decided to leave him in peace a while longer while she went back in to make breakfast.

Beneath the blanket, Inuyasha tucked his arms around himself and snuggled down into the warmth. He appreciated the gesture, although later he probably wouldn't even remember it. After all, he was still half asleep.

In the kitchen, water boiled on the stove for the ramen that would be cooked shortly. Kagome stood with a large bowl in her hand, mixing pancake batter. After all, she wasn't the one who wanted noodles for breakfast. Or for every meal, for that matter.

Finally, Inuyasha gave up his efforts at dozing when a little sunlight flashed off something metallic in the yard and right into his eyes. He yawned, blinked at the old quilt covering him, and suddenly blushed. After a moment, the hanyou stood and folded the blanket. It smelled of Kagome, and he knew she'd been the one to bring it out. How best to deal with this? Maybe his usual gruff morning manner would work.

Kagome hummed a cheery tune as she turned a pancake with a large spatula, not being brave enough to attempt flipping the thing lest it end up on someone's head. A few sat in a plate next to the stove, and after a moment she scooped up the current one and set it on top of the stack. She would make several more. After all, hanyou could eat a lot more than regular humans.

By the time she had enough pancakes to feed seven shrine families, Inuyasha decided to walk through the door. He ignored Kagome at first, instead going to the living room to set the blanket down, but soon the smell of food drew him to the kitchen. "Oi. Is it breakfast yet, wench? I'm hungry!"

Kagome's knuckles went white when her hand clenched around the pan handle in a tight death grip. Inuyasha sure did have a lot of nerve to come into _her_ kitchen and demand food of her while she was trying to be nice to him. She felt a bit crestfallen and rather stung by his words, and more than a little tempted to introduce him to the business end of her frying pan, but she expertly squashed that desire and took in a soothing breath.

"Good morning to you, too. And you're welcome." She eyed him cooly as he sat at the table. "There's food on the counter here."

Oops. Inuyasha didn't need superior senses to know that Kagome was not happy. _She's going to slam my face into the ground again, isn't she?_ he thought. It was enough to make him feel a little remorse for how he treated her sometimes--but not much. After all, he wouldn't treat her that way if she weren't so damn confusing. "Morning," he mumbled as he approached the counter--a little warily. You never knew when Kagome was going to go crazy and try to hurt you.

Picking up her own short stack of pancakes, Kagome set them on the table and fetched the maple syrup and butter from the refrigerator. "I boiled some water for ramen, but you should eat some pancakes first since I spent so long making them. Why don't you have a _seat_, Inuyasha?"

Ears automatically flattened at the tone in Kagome's voice, the hanyou did as told, taking a stack of pancakes and joining her at the table. He still didn't trust her, and his eyes never left the girl as he moved about.

Pasting a false happy smile on her face, Kagome began to slice up her breakfast and try to relax herself. She was used to this sort of attitude from him, more or less. She was just glad her mother wasn't there to hear the way he talked. A long and rather uncomfortable ensued while they ate.

Having never eaten pancakes before, it took Inuyasha a little while to figure out how to keep from getting sticky. Instead of taking his frustration out on Kagome, though, he imagined having to fight off Shippou for his meal. It kept him from yelling at Kagome, at least.

After Kagome's anger subsided, she felt rather disappointed over the mess that this day was shaping up to be. She sighed lightly as she took her plate to the sink, snagging Inuyasha's as well on the way since he'd finished eating several minutes before her. "Are you full or do you still want ramen?"

"No thanks." The pancakes had left Inuyasha with a full stomach, something that surprised him a great deal.

Kagome nodded and used the water she'd boiled for the ramen to make cups of tea for herself and Inuyasha instead. "I'm going to go take a quick shower while the tea steepes, Inuyasha. I'll be back in a minute."

"Okay." It was probably better to keep his mouth shut than to gripe about Kagome's obsession with being clean. _I don't have to find her a hot spring, so what do I care?_

About two minutes after Kagome left the kitchen, Mrs. Higurashi scuttled in to prepare breakfast for the rest of her family. She smiled pleasantly at Inuyasha as she took things out of the refrigerator and cabinets. "Good morning, Inuyasha. Have you had breakfast yet or would you like to eat with us?"

"Uh, Kagome made some round floppy things," he replied. Feeling a little awkward just sitting in Mrs. Higurashi's kitchen while she was going about her daily chores, the hanyou went to the sink where Kagome had left the dishes. "I can wash these, if you want me to. How does the water work?"

"You just turn the handle here, dear." Standing by the sink where Inuyasha was, Mrs. Higurashi began to slice vegetables on a cutting board. "You should come and visit us more often. Souta absolutely adores you, and Kagome always speaks so highly of you." She watched the boy working with the dishes out of the corner of her eye with smile and an innocent look on her motherly face.

Inuyasha scraped the plates and utensils clean with his claws. He hissed and yanked his hands clear when the water got too hot. He used it as an excuse to dodge Mrs. Higurashi's comments, and blew on his fingers. "I don't want to get in the way..."

She chuckled and adjusted the water for him. "You're not in the way." She examined his face for a moment before her disposition sobered a bit and she continued to speak. "You know, I worry so much about Kagome when she travels back in time. To me... she'll always be my little girl. To think of all the things that could happen to her, it makes me lie awake at night sometimes. It feels like my little girl is growing up without me. But I'm glad to know that she has you to watch out for her. That makes it easier to handle her being gone so much."

Inuyasha matched Mrs. Higurashi's serious expression with one of his own. "You should be proud of her. She's pretty brave for a girl who grew up without having demons to worry about. I guess that's why I keep an eye on her." He smirked. "In case she doesn't really know what she's getting into."

"I'm more proud of her than you can imagine." Her tone softened and she turned back to finish slicing the neglected vegetables. "You'll know how I feel when you have children."

Those few simple words made Inuyasha twitch. He'd never thought about having children of his own. His ears drooped a little. "Hanyou don't have children."

Mrs. Higurashi decided not to ponder the implications of Inuyasha's statement. "Oh, I'm sure you'll find a nice girl and settle down some day. You're a very nice young man, things will work out for you." Finished slicing her veggies, she put them in a pan to cook and turned to go find something she'd forgotten in the refrigerator.

Wondering if maybe he shouldn't have said anything, Inuyasha figured out how to put the dishes in the drying rack, and used a towel to wipe up the water he'd splashed around.

Kagome meandered into the kitchen then, hair still wet and a towel draped across her shoulder. "Goor morning, Mama. Inuyasha and I need to leave soon, I think." She looked at him for confirmation.

He nodded. "Yeah. I want to find out if there've been any rumors about the shards."

"I understand. It must be quite a responsibility to try and find all of those. Kagome, before you go, I found something while I was cleaning yesterday that you might like to see." Mrs. Higurashi turned down the heat on the stove and motioned for the two of them to follow her.

Inuyasha cast a curious glance at Kagome.

Kagome shrugged at him and followed her mother to the storage closet, where the elder Higurashi retrieved a box and handed it to her daughter. "It's one of our old photo albums. It's been in this closet for a few years. Maybe Inuyasha would like to look too?"

"Photo album?" the hanyou asked.

"It's a book where we keep pictures of our family," Kagome explained as she took the box from her mother and opened it to reveal the thick album. "This has some really old pictures in it."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded and smiled pleasantly. "Why don't you two look through it, and I'll pack some food for you to take back with you."

His brow creased in confusion, Inuyasha peered at the book. "Pictures? You mean you have artists make portraits?"

Kagome shook her head and pulled Inuyasha to the couch to sit down. "They're photographs. Sort of like paintings, but... not. It's hard to explain without getting really technical. They're sort of like paintings made by machines." She cracked open the first page and dusted it off to reveal the collage of black and white pictures. Family members long dead smiled up at them from the pages, preserved forever on paper. "These are my Ojii-san's parents," she said, indicating one faded photo. "There's Jii-chan right there." She pointed to a small boy situated between the two adults in the image.

"That's the old man?" Inuyasha sniffed at the photo album. "It smells like your school books."

She nodded. "Yeah, that's him as a little boy. These two people on this side are my mother's grandparents. These are her parents here." She tapped on the different images as she spoke. There weren't many pictures of grandparents or great-grandparents save for family portraits or wedding photographs.

"You're all shrine people?"

"No, only on my father's side. But this shrine has been in the family for who knows how many generations." As she turned the next page, she paused for a moment and bit her lip. The new image was in color, a wedding photograph. A younger version of her mother stood in a traditional wedding kimono next to a man in black. "That's my father," she said.

Inuyasha leaned forward to better inspect the picture, then nodded in apparent satisfaction. "Looks like you."

"People who knew him or have seen pictures say that." She grinned softly and turned the page once more, revealing images of herself as an infant in the hospital. Blushing and mumbling a vague "oh no," she moved quickly to skip those particular pages.

"Hey! Go back. I want to look at those."

Kagome groaned and handed him the book.

Inuyasha took the book with extra care so his claws wouldn't damage it. He eagerly scanned the pictures of the little girl, smirking evilly. "So. Kagome used to be not-so-scary."

She snorted indignantly. "I'm not scary now! You only say that because of these," she said as she poked at the rosary of beads around his neck.

"No. I say that because you're crazy." There wasn't any bite to the words, but maybe a hint of affection.

"I only got this crazy because I met you." Leaning over, Kagome looked at the page that Inuyasha had just turned to. The photograph was of her family on vacation several years before her father had died. A tiny Kagome, about three years old, sat perched in her father's arms, waving while he point

"Vacation? Where?"

"Tokyo Disneyland. I don't remember much of what we did, but it was a lot of fun." Kagome gently ran a finger over her father's face before turning the page again.

"Disneyland?" Why did Kagome's era insist on using such strange words?

"A theme park with rides and things. Don't worry about it."

Inuyasha frowned. He didn't have a clue what she was talking about. Maybe something they both understood would work better. "You miss him."

Kagome took a deep breath, pausing a few moments before responding. She leaned back into the couch and folded her hands together in her lap. "I do. I miss him a lot. He was... really really great." She faltered. It wasn't that she didn't have hundreds of adjectives to describe her father or the kind of man he'd been. She just couldn't choose the perfect ones. "It's different for Souta. He was just a baby when Papa died, so he doesn't remember him at all."

_Like me and Sesshoumaru,_ Inuyasha thought. _I don't remember our father, either. Just stories and bones._ "Do you tell him about your father?"

"Yeah, we talk about him sometimes. Jii-chan will tell us stories about when he was young, and Mama will tell us stories from when they were dating or before we were born, or from when we were little and he was still alive." She sighed and twiddled her thumbs self-consciously. "It helps to talk about him, I guess. It's our way of bringing him back for a little while in our memories."

"Okaa-san didn't talk about Outo-san much. I think she was afraid to."

Kagome frowned sympathetically and gently pat Inuyasha's back. "Well, I bet he was a great guy. Really brave and strong." _Just like you._

The hanyou snorted. "He was a taiyoukai."

"Well I _knew_ that Inuyasha." She crossed her arms. Why did he always have to make things difficult, even when she was trying to be nice?

Oops. He hadn't meant to upset her. "I just meant that he had to be brave and strong. I don't need stories to tell me that much! It's other things that I don't know, like why he left me Tetsusaiga or what he was thinking when he got my mother pregnant."

"Oh," said Kagome. There wasn't really much she could say to that. After all, she'd never personally met the Inu no Taishou, and had heard only a few stories of him. She'd tried at one point to puzzle out what he'd have looked like by going on the appearances of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, but that still wasn't enough to go by.

"Anyway, I still think he'd have been pretty neat." _Oh, smootheKagome. Real smooth._

Inuyasha flicked one ear and mumbled, "I guess so." Anxious to move on with the conversation, he flipped ahead in the picture album until he found more familiar images of Kagome. "Where's this?" he asked, pointing at a photo of Kagome in front of a large iris garden.

"That was a school field trip a few years ago. ... I can't actually remember where it was at." Kagome chuckled and scratched the back of her head. "I was about ten at the time."

"Huh." Inuyasha continued to flip through the book, asking Kagome questions every now and then, but mostly intrigued with the way the photographs had documented the years he hadn't known her. She almost seemed further away to him, now. The pictures drove home the reality that Kagome had grown up in a different time and a different culture.

Kagome couldn't help but feel self-conscious at the fact that Inuyasha was closely scrutinizing her life through the photos. He'd been especially amused (much to her dismay) by the picture of her at age two with chocolate cake covering the majority of her face. She realized how long they'd been leafing through the book when her mother came into the living room where they were seated and asked if the two of them would be having lunch at home that day.

"We should go," the hanyou said quickly. "Miroku and Sango will wonder where we are."

Though Kagome wanted to protest and spend a little while longer with her family, she knew that Inuyasha would pout and sulk the whole time if he didn't get his way. "No, Mama, we can't stay any longer. We already stayed too long, actually." She sighed and got up, stretching.

Surprisingly, Inuyasha offered Mrs. Higurashi a polite bow and thanked her for her hospitality. Perhaps his words and tone were a little gruff, but the sentiment held true. Then he glanced at Kagome. "Ready, or do you still have to pack?"

"Oh, don't worry about packing. Kagome, I already have all your things ready in your backpack." Mrs. Higurashi smiled kindly and gave her daughter an encouraging look. "It's up in your room. I threw in a few extra containers with food in them, so eat those today or tomorrow before they spoil."

"Extra food? Thanks!" Kagome's mother had just become Inuyasha's favorite human in twenty-first century Tokyo.

"Thanks Mama!" Kagome hugged her mother tightly and kissed her cheek before racing off to pick up her supplies. "All right, let's go!"

Inuyasha scooped up Kagome's pack on the way out, and ushered her out the door. Now that they were on their way, he didn't want to waste anymore time.

All in all, Kagome decided that Inuyasha's stay in her time had been a success. She knew to avoid her friends next time she tried it, though. They were bad news where Inuyasha was concerned. Opening the door to the well house, Kagome let Inuyasha in and closed the door behind him. "All right. Sengoku Jidai, here we come!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**  Updates are going to be sporadic because both of the co-authors are kind of busy with school and work and wonky internet hours. We promise not to quit the story but updates are going to be sort of spaced out. Hope you're enjoying the story so far. Review to tell us how you like it, okay? It makes us fuzzy inside.


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